Tilke: Perfect design for a world-class circuit

It has been said that without his name as designer, it is hard for any circuit in the world to be approved by the FIA or other governing bodies. 

But for the German, designing circuits is a regular job that he’s been doing all his life. 

Tilke told The Nation that he never dreamed of coming this far, and the reason is that he has a great team to work with. 

“It is a challenge to design a circuit in Thailand. I had previously come here [Buriram] and been inspecting the area. I found it is suitable to become a world-class circuit, and went back to work on the design, bearing in mind Khun Newin’s requirements. We finally achieved the perfect design, and I am confident that this circuit will be accepted by both the FIA and FIM for staging major world-class events once construction is completed. It will be another circuit that competitors as well as spectators will enjoy during races,” Tilke said. 

He said he doesn’t design only race tracks but also test tracks for global automobile manufacturers. 

“I have worked with 65 circuits around the world, both for competition and testing,” he added. His clients include auto companies such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, Volkswagen, Porsche and other European brands, plus Toyota, which he worked with in Japan, Europe and North America. “There are also other places that I prefer not to reveal. Surely the experience I have gives customers the confidence. Thailand is the centre for the auto industry in this region and auto companies will benefit by testing their products here,” he said. 

“Although there is a lot of automotive testing in China, because it is a large market, the Asean market is also one that auto companies pay much interest in,” he added.