In designing the Sepang, Bahrain, Shanghai, Marina Bay, Yas Marina, Korea and Buddh International circuits - to name but seven - some might claim that Hermann Tilke has done for Formula One what Simon Cowell has done for music.

Love his work or loathe it, since the 1990s, the German has been the 'go-to' man whenever a new addition to the ever expanding calendar meant a new circuit, be it a purpose built race track or street circuit.

Speaking at the FIA Sport Conference in the Philippines, Tilke has welcomed Chase Carey's plan to take F1 into more destination cities, Miami, Hanoi and Copenhagen likely to be added to the calendar in the next couple of years.

"The trend of going to the city tracks is really good for professional sport," he said. "The idea behind it is that it is really very unique, and every city is unique. If you go to the centre of a city then you cannot compare with others.

"We have real street races, we have three in the calendar at the moment," he continued, "Monaco, Singapore and Baku, and all three are so different, so unique.

"This makes it really very interesting and for the high professional series like F1, it is the right way," he added.

However, the German insists that the new street layouts will not only benefit the pinnacle of motorsport.

"We are not building tracks only for the high professional drivers, we are also building tracks for all kind of drivers," he said. "This means amateur drivers, it means a driver who is 60 years old and wishes to drive some kind of racing car or high-performance car. All these people have to be safe, it is not only F1.

"But as you see in Baku, that is a track built only for professional drivers, you could never have old drivers or young drivers on this track and that makes a difference. The investor of a permanent track wants to use a track for everybody, not only F1."

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READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by TokyoAussie, 07/06/2018 3:04

"We'd probably be better off if Tilke and Cowell traded places, both for music and motor racing."

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2. Posted by Nortim, 06/06/2018 15:43

"No more braking the track limits, otherwise you crash! LOL"

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3. Posted by Canuck, 06/06/2018 15:41

"How can you compare Yas Marina processional race to Spa. Where can you pitch your tent at the Singapore track and enjoy the full weekend. Look at the success of COTA with the evening grand stand show. @Tony Soprano and @FQITW have it right - to go to a track where all but your immediate filed of vision allows you to see the cars, then you might as well watch it at home on your TV.
I remember spending the whole weekend at Mosport and Mont Tremblant to watch F1, CANAM, Bikes, GTcars, etc on multiple weekends. That will attract the younger generation much more that watching the race on large screens except for maybe 10 sec every 90 sec of live action.
Bring on new tracks, close to the cities, where racing can happen multiple times a year, not just F1. Let racing of other series develop the taste for F1"

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4. Posted by Paul C, 06/06/2018 15:40

"If street circuits are so wonderful, what about Valencia? Las Vegas? Detroit?"

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5. Posted by Rollo, 06/06/2018 10:06

"It's sad to see F1 plumeting into the depths of dispair. The spiv's, aware of the circuit owners wakeing up and giving the sport back to the fans is offering more street circuits & 90 deg corners. F1 is to expensive in most respects the main aim of Liberty is to screw money out of as many people as possible.
In the UK TV coverage is about to disappear what are we to do?

Go on youtube and have a look at WEC & British Gt! Great cars, Great drivers & the talent of the new drivers both boys & GIRLS is a breath of fresh air.
Price of a ticket to go and watch a live race and mingle with the teams Around £20/£27.

Im off to Silverstone this Friday for the w/e for 3hr Gt + F3 3 races. + Minis +many more for 2 days. Lots of us used to do it.........Do it again."

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6. Posted by Uffen, 05/06/2018 23:12

"No, no, no, no, a thousand times, no.
We already have enough street tracks. No more are needed. This is the old "bring the races to the fans" notion and it is not needed, nor is it worthwhile."

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7. Posted by FormerF1Fan, 05/06/2018 22:33

"I posted a quite disparaging comment some days ago about the Hamilton's offering himself as a track designer. I may yet come to regret what I said. Anything, absolutely anything would be better than these boring, overtaking-suppressing coiled-intestine tracks. In the complete absence of any real racing criteria, I suspect that the dominant optimising parameter in track design was money as defined by the theoretical total trackside paying spectator capacity. Ironic that this is precisely what kept spectators away."

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8. Posted by imejl99, 05/06/2018 20:38

"To be honest, I couldn`t care less if it is street race or track race, as long as the layout provides racing opportunities. In my opinion, it should be demanding on the driver and on the car, and it should offer more than one narrow racing line.

Regarding glamour, glitz and entertainment, go see magic show, live concert, visit museum and be amazed with human creations. In sport, it is about competition. We all are invested in supporting particular team or player, emotionally and financially, and we are in it for return - satisfaction and thrill. To put it in the NFL context they love so much, half time show is entertainment, for that boring time between thrilling periods of competition."

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9. Posted by FQITW, 05/06/2018 19:20

"Hey Tony
Don’t worry about not seeing all of the track. When the cars disappear behind a large building you can watch it on large screens.
Oh, Hang on, I can do that at home ……
"

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10. Posted by Tony Soprano, 05/06/2018 17:01

"Tilke doesn't get it any more than Bratches or Carey. They've been saying lately that F1 is all about the glamour and parties as if racing had nothing to do with why true fans go to events. I don't care what sport you pick, EVERY sport is about entertainment. Where's the entertainment when cars go by once every 90 seconds then disappear behind buildings? Where's the entertainment in cars go by barely visible behind concrete barriers and fencing? At least at Spa or Monza a fan can see more of the track and, while there are barriers and fencing, it's far enough away from the track that the cars are visible. My view, you can't be entertained by what you can't see. In the U.S., NASCAR (which is, unfortunately, becoming a procession like F1 instead of an actual "race") is popular largely because, on a speedway, fans can see everything. Instead of building more ridiculous street tracks like the crap in Baku, F1 should be looking to support building real, permanent tracks closer to the cities that F1 thinks are so critical to F1's future. And if F1 wakes up and does so, I sure hope they keep Tilke as far away as possible. What F1 definitely does NOT need are more Mickey Mouse Tilketracks!!"

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11. Posted by ClarkwasGod, 05/06/2018 14:29

"As long as they don't lose iconic tracks like Spa....."

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12. Posted by Ro, 05/06/2018 13:51

"Actually, reading the article a few more times, methinks he is gunning for a new contract with Media Liberty...Go design a new Autobahn...."

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13. Posted by Ro, 05/06/2018 13:49

"Didnt know Simon Cowell buggered upthe music industry! Natural tracks are more demanding, they allow drivers to drive hard and think. All of Tilke's tracks are dull. Maybe he should design a shopping centre???"

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14. Posted by Motorsport-fan, 05/06/2018 13:22

"First paragraph says it all, keep this man away from circuit design."

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Street tracks the right way for F1 claims Tilke

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