The FIA have revealed the provisional calendar for the 2017 Formula One season after a World Motor Sport Council meeting in Paris.
Next season is set to be extremely similar to 2016, with 21 races from March 26 in Melbourne until November 26 in Abu Dhabi.
Australia’s race is set to happen one week later than its traditional timeframe in the third week of March, while the Chinese Grand Prix is set to replace the Bahrain Grand Prix as the second race of the season.
The Bahrain night race follows the first two races before a trip to Russia for the fourth round.
Other changes in this provisional calendar sees the Malaysian Grand Prix move ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix as the 15th round of the season. The teams and drivers have a trip to the Sepang International Circuit in prospect after the last European race of the season in Italy.
A Singapore night race has been pencilled in as a back-to-back race with the Japanese Grand Prix on 1 October. The Mexican Grand Prix is expected to be a back-to-back race with Brazil, instead of this season’s scheduling alongside the United States Grand Prix.
Much of the season will remain the same as it stands.
The Circuit de Catalunya-Barcelona kicks off the European leg of the season in Spain on 14 May before races in Monaco, Canada and Azerbaijan. The European Grand Prix is expected to clash with Le Mans for the second year in succession.
July is again set to feature four races in Austria, Britain, Germany and Hungary before the summer break and races in Belgium and Italy on 27 August and 3 September 2017.
Fans will also notice that Grands Prix in Spain, Canada, Austria and Germany all clash with Formula E races in Monaco, Berlin, Brussels and a double-header in New York.
Rounds in Malaysia, Singapore and Japan follow before going to North America for the United States, Mexican and Brazilian Grands Prix ahead of the season ending at the Yas Marina Circuit.
The confirmed calendar should be announced later in the year.
PROVISIONAL 2017 FORMULA ONE CALENDAR:
Round 1 – Australian Grand Prix – 24-26 March
Round 2 – Chinese Grand Prix – 7-9 April
Round 3 – Bahrain Grand Prix – 14-16 April
Round 4 – Russian Grand Prix – 28-30 April
Round 5 – Spanish Grand Prix – 12-14 May
Round 6 – Monaco Grand Prix – 26-28 May
Round 7 – Canadian Grand Prix – 9-11 June (subject to confirmation)
Round 8 – European Grand Prix – 16-18 June
Round 9 – Austrian Grand Prix – 30 June-2 July
Round 10 – British Grand Prix – 7-9 July
Round 11 – Hungarian Grand Prix – 21-23 July
Round 12 – German Grand Prix – 28-30 July (subject to confirmation)
Round 13 – Belgian Grand Prix – 25-27 August
Round 14 – Italian Grand Prix – 1-3 September
Round 15 – Malaysian Grand Prix – 15-17 September
Round 16 – Singapore Grand Prix – 29 September-1 October
Round 17 – Japanese Grand Prix – 6-8 October
Round 18 – United States Grand Prix – 20-22 October
Round 19 – Mexican Grand Prix – 3-5 November
Round 20 – Brazilian Grand Prix – 10-12 November (subject to confirmation)
Round 21 – Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – 24-26 November
