Tilke Engineers & Architects
When Formula 1 is looking to create racetracks, it calls up one designer: Hermann Tilke.
For the past three decades, the 69-year-old German engineer has been the main architect behind most of the global racing series' new tracks. He's designed some of the calendar's most interesting venues, including the Circuit of the Americas in Austin; the Las Vegas Strip Circuit; the Baku City Circuit in Azerbaijan; the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; and the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Saudi Arabia.
"I always wanted to do something related to my motorsports passion," said Tilke, who in the 1980s competed as a race-car driver in European touring cars while simultaneously earning a degree in civil engineering. He said he "didn't have enough time to dedicate to racing" and so "decided to make my own business."
His firm, Tilke Engineers & Architects, began working on minor Formula 1 projects in the 1990s. Tilke would earn the trust of the sport's top brass, eventually becoming its go-to designer for nearly every track created over the past 30 years. His son, Carsten Tilke, joined the company a little over a decade ago and is now a partner at the firm.
"It's a really cool job," the younger Tilke said. "Of course, it's not always easy, but, for sure, that's what makes it fun."
Administrators within the FIA, Formula 1's governing body, say the Tilke team has become a trusted name because of its attention to detail and ability to create unique tracks that adhere to regulations.
"The design and build of FIA Grade 1 Circuits — as required to host a round of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship — is a highly complex and rigorous undertaking," Nuno Costa, the organization's safety director, said. "Hermann Tilke and his team have demonstrated many times in recent years that they can deliver a product that meets our highest expectations in terms of safety and raceability."
When Formula 1 and host cities want to create a racetrack, the Tilkes first assess the plot of land they're given.
"People always think that we start with just a white piece of paper and can then do whatever we want," Carsten Tilke said with a laugh. "But no, that is not the case. We have the land, topography, budget, time — a lot of factors to consider."
Tilke Engineers & Architects
Hermann Tilke said sketches begin with the start/finish line.
"That's where we start, because that part of the track has to be straight, and it has to be flat," he said. "From there we design the rest, and we ask ourselves: How long is this track? If it's long, we can make very fast corners, sweeping corners, and so on."
Topography often adds intrigue to the track; he pointed to Circuit of the Americas as a prime example. After a flat start/finish line, the circuit elevates sharply heading into turn one, giving the venue a distinctive feature.
"The elevation is what makes that first turn iconic," he said.
Beyond the track layout, the designers must consider hospitality sections, grandstands, general-admission viewing areas, and much more.
"The paddock is a huge area that you need and must account for," Carsten Tilke said. "Then there's the medical center, media, kitchen tents — a whole infrastructure you must support."
Finally, the Tilkes consider the purpose of each track. Some are dedicated solely to Formula 1, while others aim to host additional racing series, such as MotoGP, a global motorcycle series, or private track days for luxury-car owners. The Tilkes say this can affect things such as the size and length of runoff areas.
Asked about which of their tracks was the most difficult to design, the Tilkes laughed. "They each come with their own set of challenges," Hermann Tilke said.
Some circuits require a lightning-fast turnaround time. The Tilkes said the Jeddah Corniche Circuit was the fastest project they completed, going from concept to completion in less than a year.
"When F1 is coming, that date is set — we cannot be one weekend longer," Carsten Tilke said. "With Jeddah, we needed to design and construct at the same time, so everything needed to happen in parallel. In the end, it took about 11 months, and it all worked out — something we are very proud of."
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Creating the Sochi Autodrom in Russia in 2014 also proved to be a logistical nightmare. The circuit was constructed inside the Olympic Village — and the organizers of the Olympics were simultaneously building their own facilities that year.
"We were not loved by the other parties who were making the stadiums," Hermann Tilke said. "They wanted to finish, we wanted to finish. It was just a lot of things in tandem."
Hermann Tilke described the terrain as another major obstacle. Often the land they have to work with requires a lot of maintenance before construction can even begin. The Shanghai International Circuit in China, for example, was constructed on swampland that in the beginning could barely support a track.
"We had maybe 60 or 70 meters of swamp," Hermann Tilke said. His firm ultimately determined it had to layer polystyrene on top of the marshy land to support the concrete.
"It was a really unique design and method of doing it," Carsten Tilke said.
And at Abu Dhabi's Yas Marina Circuit — which traditionally serves as the final race of the Formula 1 calendar — the Tilkes had to build a racetrack on the previously uninhabited Yas Island. The project cost more than $1 billion and is considered the most expensive track in Formula 1 history.
"In general, the track itself is not more expensive than other tracks," Hermann Tilke said. "But we had to construct the entire infrastructure from scratch."
"It was an empty island before," Carsten Tilke added. "Then you come in and add infrastructure, create a harbor, build everything from nothing. It gets more and more expensive."
Carsten Tilke joined his father's firm about 11 years ago as a project manager, working his way up to becoming a partner. He's taken the lead on a variety of projects, including the Las Vegas Strip Circuit, which debuted last year.
"Often people ask me how it is to work with my father," he said. "We listen to each other, we discuss things." He added, "We don't always have the same opinion, but he's open to new things and new ideas."
Tilke Engineers & Architects
Just like his father, Carsten Tilke has competed as a race-car driver. He says a passion for motorsports is essential for everyone at the firm.
"The projects we have are difficult and challenging, so if you don't have a passion for it — if you are just doing it because it's work — you won't have the success we have," he said.
And there's never a dull day for the Tilkes. They're working on two major Formula 1 projects: a Madrid street circuit set to debut in 2026, and a new racetrack in Qiddiya City, Saudi Arabia, designed to boast steep elevations and a Six Flags theme park running alongside it.
