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Courses: Character Counts

Nürburgring 1974. Jacky Ickx (Lotus) and Mike Hailwood (McLaren) at the Pflanzgarten Jump, 17 kilometers into the epic 22.835-km (14.18-mile) circuit in Germany's Eifel Mountains. The original track remains, but the antiseptic loop now used for F1 is a sad shadow of the old 'Ring's somber magnificence. Photo: Pete Lyons / www.petelyons.com

New race courses keep blinking onto our radar screens, which seems like a good thing until they turn up on our TV screens. Or at least on mine. For me, the new breed of supercircuits mostly invokes disappointment and, worse, boredom.

There are exceptions. Even on TV, which tends to flatten and emasculate a racetrack, the one in Turkey looks fast and swooping and vivid. That four-apex, 160-mph Turn 8 must be a stunner in person. I would like to go see a race there.

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