SPORTS
FIA confirm 21-race calendar featuring triple header
Baku, December 7, AZERTAC
The FIA has confirmed the 21-race F1 calendar for 2018 following a World Motor Sport Council meeting in Paris, according to Sky News.
As previously announced, the schedule features the sport's first triple header as France and Germany return while Malaysia drops out, with every race live on Sky Sports F1.
The only change from the provisional calendar is the date swap between China and Bahrain, with the Sakhir race now heading up the first back-to-back of the season.
The 2018 F1 season will begin in Australia on March 25, the same weekend as this year, and end in Abu Dhabi on November 25.
The Azerbaijan GP in Baku will take place two months earlier on April 29, while the Russian GP in Sochi has been moved back to a late September slot after hosting this year's fourth round.
But the major talking point is the three grands prix in three weekends - an F1 first.
After the French GP on the final weekend of June, the sport will head straight to the Red Bull Ring for the Austrian GP on July 1 before then going to Silverstone for the British GP on July 8.
In total, between June 24 and July 29, there will be five grands prix in six weekends ahead of the usual August summer break.