Surprisingly a few rumblings in the paddock at the first round of Formula Kart Stars suggested some teams and drivers weren’t too happy with how the weekend went and was organised. Far from being a disaster like some have suggested championship organiser – Carolynn Hoy – has released a statement on the FKS website responding to the criticism

“Hindsight,” Hoy confessed, “can be a wonderful thing. Given that Formula Kart Stars is effectively a whole new championship with new procedures and a new format, it wasn’t the ideal circuit at which to start the season, with parc fermé being remote from the dummy grid.

“A lot of our new competitors won’t ever have experienced parc fermé before, and we chose the most difficult circuit at which to introduce it. Parc fermé fuel and tyres are what our competitors want, however the difficulties encountered with the remote parc fermé area was a problem that we didn’t get to grips with quickly enough. We have taken on-board a lot of the suggestions we received.”

Hoy also conceded that too much flexibility had been granted in terms of tyres and fuel, when looking back – particularly over a weekend during which the weather was so changeable – more instruction and direction was actually required.

She spoke up, by contrast, in support of the much-maligned new format, the introduction of timed practice and the quality and calibre of the racing over the course of the meeting. The new format was designed to accommodate the extensive television coverage provided by Ecclestone’s Formula One Management company (FOM), so that the cameras would have more time to film in the paddock.

“We are filming for the general public,” Hoy explained, “not just the drivers taking part. They need to meet the drivers, their teams and their families, to see faces and understand what they are watching.

“The introduction of timed practice was at the request of the competitors – we listened to them and that’s what they got. Particularly for the cadets, it gave them a chance to see what it was like. There was a lot of racing, but split over two days rather than just one and at the end we had two days’ full racing, with nothing held over. The action on-track was brilliant, absolutely fantastic. It was a difficult weekend, but it worked out well in the end.

“It’s a very different way of doing things, and change can be painful. We learned a lot and listened to our competitors, and we will be in contact with them all in the run-up to Glan y Gors to give them the schedule and procedure details. In the meantime, the FKS team will be working hard to get it right for you all.”

Formula Kart Stars

Related posts:

1. BRDC Stars Of Tomorrow Goes CIK – Carolynn Hoy Interview
2. American Cadet Drivers Given the Chance to Compete in UK Stars Of Tomorrow
3. Part 2 – F1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton Launches Formula Kart Stars 2009
4. Revised Format Hope after British Champs are Cancelled!
5. Intrepid make powerful statement!