Baku will be the world's fastest city-centre street circuit according to the man who designed it, track architect Hermann Tilke.
Azerbaijan's capital city will play host to the European Grand Prix later this year, making its debut on June 19, following years of work which began back in June 2014.
Tilke believes the unique setting sets the circuit apart from any other on the Formula 1 calendar.
"Baku City Circuit stands out due to many factors," said Tilke. "Baku will be the world’s fastest city circuit and the track loops around the city’s historical centre will create a unique and remarkable atmosphere for fans watching in the grandstands and at home.
"The streets are really narrow and this is exactly what makes it so appealing. There is no track like Baku City Circuit – it will be one of the most exciting ones on the calendar."
Speaking of the difficulties which arose from the project, Tilke said: "The most challenging task was to come up with an idea for the routing of a city track, which will be suitable for F1 in Baku.
"City circuits are always challenging to build, because the team has to construct the racetrack within the city. Various problems arise when designing a circuit in the city. But together with the Baku City Circuit team we successfully solved every problem!"
Although it will be one of the quickest, Tilke has calculated an average lap time of around 1 minute and 41 seconds, which would rank it amongst the longest laps on the calendar – Spa-Francorchamps is only six seconds longer.
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