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At Watkins Glen, I think one of the tunnels goes under the track between Turns 1 and 2. Widening the verge AND having to do a new, longer tunnel would be a serious undertaking. Also, there's the topography to consider; the ground falls away substantially outside of Turn 2 up to Turn 4. Furthermore, there definitely is a tunnel under the track between Turns 3 and 4. Really, a significant amount of that paved run-off outside of Turn 1 should be returned to gravel and grass, so that the cars are funneled back on to the track sooner, rather than drivers scrambling at the last second, and rejoining just before the barriers come in on either side.
With Mexico City, I don't exactly like it, but I can't argue with your conclusion for F1. It's funny though, because CART/ChampCar started out using the stadium section in 2002-05, but then, gave it up.
There can still be action in the Motodrom at Hockenheim, but yes, the more moderate downforce settings probably don't help; the shorter straight beforehand definitely doesn't. Also, I think the old corner entering the stadium was slightly banked, but the new one, with the dragstrip there now, is essentially flat (no camber).
I don't know that the current IndyCar layout at Sears Point works that much better than the one they used in 2005-07. You have to take into account the fact that this latest iteration was first used in 2012, so we don't have a direct comparison on this course with the old car. In two of the spots where the 2008-11 layout was tweaked for 2012 (Turns 9 and 11), the new configuration may be a bit better than the second one.
I'm not sure what all the issues might be with redoing the pit entry at Sears Point. It looks like they own the land at that end; there's a go-kart track a little further down. It may partly have to do with NASCAR's shorter lap, and they DON'T want a pit lane that is so long, time-wise, that there is a greater risk of losing a lap to the leader if you make a stop.
I might add, the Sprint Cup cars carry more kinetic energy into Turn 11 than the Indy Cars would. Also, the sportscars, especially the LMP900s/LMP1s in ALMS and the GTPs of IMSA before that, carried substantially more kinetic energy into Turn 11 than the current Indy Cars would. I don't see the DW12 approaching that hairpin corner at more than 175-mph. The sportscars weighed more, but could still do 180+mph into there. The NASCAR machines can do 135-mph into that turn, and weigh more than twice what the IndyCars do.
If I'm looking at the IndyCar layout of Sears Point, I'll take Laguna Seca. If they can get the Indy Cars on to the 2.52-mle layout at Sonoma, I'll take it over Monterey.
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