Circuit designer Hermann Tilke has come under some criticism for the layout of the Formula 1 tracks this season. Fans and pundits have complained that the circuits are boring and that they don't provide enough opportunity for overtaking.
Tilke has a difficult job as he cannot ever design a circuit from scratch.
“We never have a clean slate on which to draw,” Tilke said to La Repubblica. “But there are guidelines: There is the land of which we are not owners, the history has to be respected, the altitude, and also other elements such as the ‘feng shui’ philosophy in Shanghai.
“Then there are safety and security rules, which have evolved, and Imola taught us this with Ayrton Senna.
“There is also the costs, investors want multi-purpose facilities. The expenses for a Formula 1 circuit range from a 100 million to a billion, as is the case with Abu Dhabi, which incorporates a hotel.”
Tilke has an impossible job and pleasing everyone is hard but fans will be hoping for more exciting circuits in the future.