Don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone? Okay, so the old Hockenheimring was no paradise, but the modern version is certainly akin to Joni Mitchell's parking lot.
Take a circuit with a unique layout, characteristics and atmosphere, chop out the interesting bit and revert to bland stadium-track mode as you draw up the new one.
What have you got? The generic modern Grand Prix circuit, with asphalt as far as the eye can see. Well done, Formula One.
As I prepare to head off to the German Grand Prix, I'm sad to say I feel very little excitement. That has nothing to do with F1 itself or the country I am visiting. Germany is a true motorsport nation and its people are wonderfully enthusiastic about racing.