As Formula 1 heads to a Tilkedrome on the artificial Yas Island, for a title showdown threatened by the gimmick of double points, some of us will at least arrive there refreshed by the reality check that comes from a dose of the Macau Grand Prix.
While the F1 world appears to get ever more wearisome of paddock politics - be it fights over costs, income distribution, engine freezes or snipes at young fans - a few days in Macau is always a fantastic reminder of what this sport is supposed to be all about: the racing.
Last weekend was no different. Not once as Formula 3's finest battled it out for glory around the famous streets on which Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher and David Coulthard have triumphed, was there any discussion about the latest political developments, panic about where the sport was heading or fears about conspiracies to drive the weakest out.