Hermann Hugo Tilke (born 31 December 1954) is a German engineer, racing driver and circuit designer, who has designed numerous Formula One motor racing circuits. His son is architect Carsten Tilke.
Racing
During the 1980s, Tilke competed in touring car racing, mainly on the old Nürburgring Nordschleife circuit. Russian Formula One commentator Alexey Popov<!-- maybe it was someone else, correct me if I'm wrong --> coined the term "Tilkedrome" to emphasize the characteristic ennui of tracks designed by Tilke.<!-- First time the term "Tilkedrom" was used on the F1 discussion board www.formule-1.cz in the year 2003. This web no more exists. Author of this term, user Hurvajs, used the term "Tilkedrom" on newer discussion board www.formule.cz for example in the year 2006 (see http://formule.cz/formule/index.php?obsah=forum&id_clanku=6046, date and time: 22 February 2006 22:07) next time :-) -->
Former driver and team owner Jackie Stewart was critical of Tilke in a 2011 piece in The Daily Telegraph, blaming his designs for the lack of overtaking and excitement at many Formula One races, saying they "are largely carbon copies of each other". Stewart, while praising the vast improvement the designs have brought to the sport's safety as well as "bringing fantastic amenities and luxuries to the sport", argued that the tracks have "gone too far the other way" in terms of safety. His primary complaint was that the large tarmac run-off areas fail to "penalise mistakes"; he cited the 2010 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, where Mark Webber was unable to pass Fernando Alonso, despite the latter running wide on four occasions, because the track's run-off areas did not impede him. Stewart suggested that the run-offs be made of a substance that slowed the cars down and thus punished drivers' mistakes. Webber echoed Stewart's views, stating that he was "spot on". 1980 world champion Alan Jones described Tilke's designs as "just one constant-radius corner after another" and "boring".
Others have defended him. Driver and commentator Anthony Davidson said that Tilke "understands the demands of the modern cars...he gives us run-off areas and it's all well thought out. They are enjoyable to race on because they suit modern F1 cars. At a track like Silverstone you do not get as much overtaking because it was designed for cars that were slower and did not depend on downforce for speed. But the circuits designed in recent years have a long straight and bigger braking zone." He particularly praised Turn Eight of Istanbul Park.
| style="background:#FFCFFF;" | Hohenstein-Ernstthal, Saxony, Germany
|-
| rowspan="2" |2002
| style="background:#FFCFFF;" | Nürburgring
| style="background:#FFCFFF;" | Nürburg, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
|-
| style="background:#FFCFFF;" | Hockenheimring
| style="background:#FFCFFF;" | Hockenheim, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
|-
| rowspan="2" |2004
| Bahrain International Circuit
|Sakhir, Southern Governorate, Bahrain
|-
| Shanghai International Circuit
|Jiading District, Shanghai, China
|-
| rowspan="2" |2005
| style="background:#FFCFFF;" | Fuji Speedway
| style="background:#FFCFFF;" | Oyama, Suntō District, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan
|-
| Istanbul Park
|Tuzla, Istanbul, Marmara region, Turkey
|-
| rowspan="2" |2006
| style="background:#CFCFFF;" | Cancún
| style="background:#CFCFFF;" | Cancún, Quintana Roo, Mexico
|-
| style="background:#CFCFCC;" | Jingkai Street Circuit
| style="background:#CFCFCC;" | Yizhuang, Beijing, China
|-
| rowspan="3" |2007
| style="background:#FFCFFF;" | Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya
| style="background:#FFCFFF;" | Montmeló, Catalonia, Spain
|-
| style="background:#CFCFCC;" | Bucharest Ring
| style="background:#CFCFCC;" | Bucharest, Romania
|-
| style="background:#CFCFFF;" | Colorado Motorsports Country Club Circuit
| style="background:#CFCFFF;" | Colorado, United States
|-
| rowspan="3" |2008
| Marina Bay Street Circuit
|Marina Bay, Singapore
|-
| Kandavas Kartodroms
|Kandava, Latvia
|-
| style="background:#CFCFCC;" | Valencia Street Circuit
| style="background:#CFCFCC;" | Valencia, Spain
|-
| rowspan="3" |2009
| style="background:#CFCFCC;" | Lippo Village International Formula Circuit
| style="background:#CFCFCC;" | Lippo Karawaci, Tangerang, Banten, Indonesia
|-
| Yas Marina Circuit
|Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
|-
| Ciudad del Motor de Aragón
|Alcañiz, Aragon, Spain
|-
| rowspan="6" |2010
| style="background:#CFCFFF;" | Kyiv Race Track
| style="background:#CFCFFF;" | Kalynivka, Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine
|-
| style="background:#CFCFFF;" | Dublin Street Circuit
| style="background:#CFCFFF;" | Dublin, Ireland
|-
| Korea International Circuit
|Yeongam, South Jeolla Province, Honam, South Korea
|-
| style="background:#CFCFFF;" | Kazakhstan Motorcity
| style="background:#CFCFFF;" | Kazakhstan
|-
| Atlanta Motorsports Park
|Dawson County, Georgia, United States
|-
| style="background:#CFCFFF;" | Oslofjord Panoramic Racepark
| style="background:#CFCFFF;" | Oslofjord, Oslo, Eastern Norway, Norway
|-
| rowspan="2" |2011
| style="background:#FFCFFF;" | Rudskogen Motorpark
| style="background:#FFCFFF;" | Rakkestad, Østfold, Norway
|-
| Buddh International Circuit
| Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
|-
| rowspan="3" |2012
| Moscow Raceway
|Volokolamsk, Moscow Oblast, Russia
|-
| Circuit of the Americas
|Austin, Texas, United States
|-
| style="background:#CFCFFF;" | Sibirian Ring
| style="background:#CFCFFF;" | Novosibirsk, Novosibirsk Oblast, Russia
|-
| rowspan="4" |2013
| style="background:#CFCFCC;" | Crimea Grand Prix Circuit
| style="background:#CFCFCC;" | Suvorovske, Crimea, Ukraine
|-
| style="background:#CFCFFF;" | Port Imperial Street Circuit
| style="background:#CFCFFF;" | New Jersey, United States
|-
| style="background:#CFCFFF;" | Autódromo y Centro Cultural Motorpark
| style="background:#CFCFFF;" |Santiago, Chile
|-
| Bilster Berg
|Bad Driburg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
|-
| rowspan="4" |2014
| Sochi Autodrom
|Sochi, Krasnodar Krai, Russia
|-
| style="background:#CFCFFF;" | Osijek - Tvrđa
| style="background:#CFCFFF;" | Osijek and Tvrđa, Croatia
|-
| style="background:#CFCFFF;" | Bistra - Zagreb
| style="background:#CFCFFF;" | Bistra and Zagreb, Croatia
|-
| Chang International Circuit
|Buriram, Thailand
|-
| rowspan="2" |2015
| Mercedes-Benz Arena Temporary Track
|Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
|-
| style="background:#FFCFFF;" | Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez
| style="background:#FFCFFF;" | Mexico City, Mexico
|-
| rowspan="3" |2016
| Vancouver Island Motorsport Circuit
|Duncan, British Columbia, Canada
|-
| style="background:#FFCFFF;" | Circuit International Automobile Moulay El Hassan
| style="background:#FFCFFF;" | Marrakesh, Marrakesh-Safi, Morocco
|-
| Baku City Circuit
|Azadliq Square, Baku, Azerbaijan
|-
| rowspan="2" |2017
| style="background:#cfcfff;" | Jakabaring International Circuit
| style="background:#CFCFFF;" | Palembang, South Sumatra, Indonesia
|-
| style="background:#cfcfff;" | Sentul International Circuit
| style="background:#CFCFFF;" | Bogor, West Java, Indonesia
|-
| rowspan="2" |2018
| Pradera Verde Racing Circuit
|Lubao, Pampanga, Central Luzon, Philippines
|-
| V1 Auto World Tianjin
|Tianjin, China
|-
| rowspan="2" |2019
| Kuwait Motor Town
|Ali Sabah Al Salem, Ahmadi Governorate, Kuwait
|-
| Igora Drive
|Priozersk, Leningrad Oblast, Russia
|-
| rowspan="2" |2020
| style="background:#CFCFCC;" | Hanoi Street Circuit
| style="background:#CFCFCC;" |Nam Từ Liêm, Hanoi, Vietnam
|-
| style="background:#cfcfff;" | Jakarta Monument Street Circuit
| style="background:#CFCFFF;" | Jakarta, Indonesia
|-
|2021
| Jeddah Corniche Circuit
|Jeddah Corniche, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2023
| Sokol International Racetrack
|Sokol, Almaty, Kazakhstan
|-
| Las Vegas Strip Circuit
|Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
|}
References
External links
- https://web.archive.org/web/20070927185142/http://emagazine.credit-suisse.com/app/article/index.cfm?fuseaction=OpenArticle&aoid=46257&coid=88&lang=EN
- http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns19865.html
- Work on the street circuit in Valencia
- Tilke Engineering
- Kazakhstan Motor City [https://web.archive.org/web/20081023191830/http://motorcity.kz/]