Formula One: Hermann Tilke vows to design tracks that are more aggressive
Hermann Tilke has vowed to come up with even more exciting and tricky Formula One tracks for future.
He has promised that the race lovers would be able to see tracks that are more on 'the edge' in the upcoming years.
The track designer is responsible for the basic layout of a number of tracks in the past few years, while now he is being increasingly criticised from fans who claim that his tracks are ‘boring’ and have a monotony about them.
However, the German designer defended himself saying that there is several security and other concerns from authorities that he needs to keep in mind while making the design. Yet, he excitedly added that now that he had been given the green signal from Bernie Ecclestone, the CEO of Formula One Management, he is looking forward for coming up with designs that are more ‘aggressive’ in the forthcoming seasons.
While talking to Autosport, a leading weekly motor racing magazine, published in the United Kingdom, he said, "I have discussed a lot of things, and a lot of good ideas come from Bernie Ecclestone."
He further stated that, “He has a good view on it. Now, we are going much more to the edge than we have some years before - in terms of elevation and the types of corner we have."
Tilke moreover shielded himself as well as his designs from ever increasing disapproval, by reminding Formula One fans that a lot of factors are to be considered while designing a circuit. He promptly added that a real world circuit is different from the video game track as the real world drivers are vulnerable to injuries therefore ‘excitement value’ is not all that one needs to take care of while scheming the straights and corners of a track.
"It is hard to tell the people what we had in mind, what restrictions we had and what tools we had."
"For example, nowadays you need the run-off areas. The FIA will not accept tracks without the run-off. Having wide run-offs is not ideal for the view - and is very different from the old tracks where the guardrail was right by the edge of the track. It used to be completely different, but in our times it is not possible to do that anymore.”
Moreover, he elaborated that nowadays many of the track owners and investors would want to use the same track for motorcycle racing also. That is why one needs to get along with all the requirements of motorcycles as well when designing a track. They require a wider run-off as compared to cars. At some of the corners F1 cars would not need any run off at all, while on the other hand for motorcycle races it is necessary to have bigger run offs.
He smiled as he said, “Then people criticise it and say, 'it is stupid to have this run off!'"
The German architect and designer is responsible for constructing most of the Formula One tracks of present day. He made his way in auto racing world by initially racing in touring car and later taking part in VLN endurance racing and 24 Hours Nürburgring.
However, he went back to his “Tilke Engineering” that was built in the year 1984, which provides a thorough engineering solution to the auto racing world.
His first track designing venture was the Sepang International Circuit, of Malaysia which was designed in the year 1998. Later, in 2004 the team was involved in laying out the tracks of Bahrain and China.
The Istanbul Park Racing Circuit of Turkey was built under his supervision in 2005, while the other track of China, the Beijing International Streetcircuit was designed by him in 2006.
Since then the process of designing and constructing tracks for Formula One has kept going on. He had been signed to plan fourteen more tracks from then till date, of which six are still underdevelopment.
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