Hockenheim is used to existing in the shadow cast by another, greater track. After all, the fearsome original Nurburgring has been the spiritual home of racing in Germany ever since it opened in 1927.
But today, Hockenheim has a more pressing shadow to deal with, one cast by, well, itself. And it's a shadow that is cast over all of grand prix racing in these days of increasingly homogenised circuits.
Astonishingly, it's now 14 years since the 'new' Hockenheim hosted its first German Grand Prix. While plenty of its current 2.8-mile configuration is shared with the old 4.2-mile track, it lacks much of the character of its imposing predecessor.