Hermann Tilke Interview: F1 Circuit Designer on Baku Track and Handling Critics

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at Internationaled.org

Published: June 16, 2016

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Hermann Tilke has a mixed reputation in Formula One circles. The 61-year-old German engineer has designed every new F1 venue since the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia was introduced in 1999 and also redesigned several older tracks.

Some, like the Circuit of the Americas, Istanbul Park and Sepang, are regarded as modern classics. Others, like the Valencia Street Circuit, Korea International Circuit and the redesigned Hockenheimring, well, not so much.

The ubiquitous Tilke's latest design is the Baku City Circuit in Azerbaijan, which is about to host the revived European Grand Prix. Like Monaco, it is built through the pre-existing streets of a seaside city; unlike Monaco, which hosted its first race in 1929, the Baku track is designed with modern F1 cars in mind.

Bleacher Report caught up with Tilke as he was on his way to Azerbaijan to get his views on the circuit, the challenges surrounding its construction and how he handles the criticism that often flies in his direction.

You might imagine that an engineer would prefer an empty plot of virgin ground on which to build his masterpiece, rather than a city where he is confined to the existing streets, but Tilke said that is not necessarily the case.

"It's very challenging, very interesting and very difficult," he explained. "Because it's difficult, it's so interesting and challenging."



When he started to develop a plan for Baku, the local organizers did not already have a circuit layout in mind (or if they did, they did not share it with Tilke). "The only thing that was given to us was to make the paddock in front of the government house," he said.

Other than that, it was up to Tilke and his team to pick the streets that would work best for an F1 race.

"From there, we had to choose the track, together with them, of course. And after a while, we had three possibilities to make the street circuit in Bak...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Formula 1

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