At Apex Circuit Design, motorsport is more than a profession. It’s part of the company’s culture.

Across the business, many of Apex’s engineers are not only designing circuits — they are actively competing, testing, sim racing, karting, and analysing performance themselves. 

That direct connection between engineering and driving plays an important role in how the company approaches circuit design, safety, and simulation.

From grassroots karting through to international endurance racing, the experiences gained behind the wheel often feed directly back into the design process.

For a company responsible for projects ranging from karting facilities to FIA-grade international venues, that understanding matters.

Designing with a driver’s perspective

While modern circuit design relies heavily on simulation, regulations, and technical modelling, there is still significant value in understanding how a circuit actually feels.

• How does a braking zone load the chassis?

• How does elevation affect commitment?

• Where does a sequence naturally encourage overtaking?

• Which corners reward bravery, and which punish mistakes?

Those are questions that Apex engineers regularly experience firsthand.

Design Engineer Axel Slijepcevic, one of the company’s most accomplished racers, believes competitive driving provides an important additional perspective.

“Understanding how drivers approach corners, positioning, overtaking opportunities and flow definitely influences how you think about design. You start analysing circuits differently once you’ve experienced competition yourself.”

Axel’s racing achievements include the Daytona DMAX Lightweight National Championship, victory in the Daytona DMAX 24 Hour, multiple BUKC titles, and success in endurance and prokart competition.

Alongside his design work, Axel also leads development of Apex’s in-house lap simulation tools, helping bridge the gap between theoretical design and real-world driver behaviour.

From grassroots karting to global projects

For many Apex engineers, karting formed the foundation of their motorsport involvement.

Design Engineer Dominic Roberts raced at British Championship level in TKM karting before moving into endurance and university competition. That background now complements his work supporting both circuit design and driver-in-the-loop simulation at Apex.

“You understand circuits differently once you’ve raced competitively,” Dominic explains. “You notice surface changes, elevation, how corners connect together, and how small design choices affect racing.”

Dominic recently led development work on a karting circuit project while also contributing to larger-scale international design programmes.

Similarly, Sam Heathcote combines his engineering background with years of karting experience, giving him an instinctive understanding of circuit flow and vehicle behaviour.

“A lot of people think track design is mainly about the layout in 2D,” Sam says. “But once you bring in elevation, camber, gradients and how corners link together, that’s where a circuit really comes to life.”

That perspective becomes particularly valuable when Apex develops karting facilities and technical driver-focused venues, where rhythm and raceability are critical.

A competitive environment — inside and outside the office

Motorsport competitiveness naturally carries into the wider Apex culture.

Karting evenings between staff are highly contested, with engineers often racing at an extremely high standard. Many of the team continue competing in endurance events, arrive-and-drive championships, and university motorsport.

The British Universities Karting Championship (BUKC) has become a particularly strong proving ground, with Apex engineers regularly competing at the sharp end of one of the UK’s most competitive arrive-and-drive series.

That environment helps reinforce skills that are equally valuable in engineering: precision, analysis, consistency, adaptability, and calm decision-making under pressure.

Simulation, engineering and real-world feedback

As circuit design tools become increasingly sophisticated, the relationship between engineering simulation and driver feedback continues to grow.

Apex’s in-house simulation capabilities allow the team to analyse:

• Vehicle speeds and acceleration profiles

• Braking loads and racing lines

• Runoff requirements and barrier impacts

• Overtaking opportunities and racing flow

Having engineers who also understand racing behaviour adds another layer to that process.

“Simulation gives you the technical confidence,” Axel explains. “But having driving experience helps interpret what the data is actually telling you.”

That blend of technical engineering and practical motorsport knowledge is becoming increasingly important as circuits evolve to meet modern expectations for safety, entertainment, sustainability, and race quality.

Developing the next generation of circuit designers

Apex’s structure gives younger engineers genuine responsibility early in their careers.

Rather than being isolated into narrow technical roles, engineers are exposed to multiple stages of project delivery — from concept layouts and CAD development through to homologation support and on-site implementation.

For many, that combination of engineering and motorsport creates a uniquely rewarding career path.

“It’s a very rare industry where you combine technical engineering, creativity, and motorsport together,” says Axel. “And then sometimes you get to drive something you’ve helped create.”

As Apex continues to expand its global portfolio — from international street circuits to permanent racing facilities and karting venues — that culture remains central to the company’s identity.

The engineers designing the circuits are often the same people analysing racing lines, competing wheel-to-wheel, or spending weekends at the track themselves.

At Apex, motorsport is not simply the output.

It is part of the process.