Tilke: There is no such thing as the perfect track

F1 circuit designer Hermann Tilke responded to claims that another of his layouts - Abu Dhabi - was the reason Formula 1’s 2020 season finale was so boring.

"There is no such thing as the perfect track, and not every football game is exciting either," he told Der Standard. "There were also external constraints in Abu Dhabi such as the integration of the hotel.

"We couldn’t play as much with the corners. If you break down the individual elements, then you can say that some circuits tend to be more exciting for racing. But they are also different in character.

"We can’t build ten Red Bull Rings just because that one works well."

Finally, Tilke rejected criticism of the forthcoming Saudi Arabian GP on the basis of the Kingdom’s human rights record.

"Sport can change things for the better," he argues, "but it’s also true that other sports also organise events there.

"Mercedes sells cars there and Siemens sells products there, so we shouldn’t be so hypocritical."