F1 Reveals Provisional Calendar

Bahrain is set to host the opening race of the F1 season next year, according to a provisional calendar that has been released to teams.

The schedule lists 18 races, starting in Bahrain on 14th March and ending in Abu Dhabi on 7th November.

Canada and Britain are the only two events listed as provisional. Canada has not yet signed a commercial deal, while in the UK there are doubts whether new host Donington Park will be ready for the 11th July date.

F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has performed a u-turn and stated that the British event will switch to Silverstone if Donington cannot fulfil its obligations.

Although the calendar is not expected to be officially confirmed until October, Ecclestone has told the teams that it is fixed apart from the two provisional events.

Bahrain has replaced the Australian Grand Prix as the season opener because Ecclestone wants to run the Melbourne event, which is slated for 28th March, at a time as friendly to European television audiences as possible.

This year the Australian race was started at 1700 local time, which was 0700 BST. That is not possible two weeks earlier because the clocks have not been changed from summer to winter time in Australia, and vice versa in Europe.

Turkey slots in as the fourth event on 25th April, shifting from its June date of this season.

The European Grand Prix at Valencia moves from this year’s August date to 27th June in an attempt to avoid the high temperatures in Spain in late summer.

The German Grand Prix is listed as being at Hockenheim, but there remain doubts over its finances.

While China moves from April to slot in on 19th September, ahead of Singapore, as the first of three races in Asia, the last of which is Japan.

The full 2010 provisional schedule is as follows:

March 14 – Bahrain (Sakhir)
March 28 – Australia (Melbourne)
April 4 – Malaysia (Sepang)
April 25 – Turkey (Istanbul)
May 9 – Spain (Barcelona)
May 23 – Monaco (Monte Carlo)
June 6 – Canada (Montreal)
June 27 – Europe (Valencia)
July 11 – Great Britain (Donington Park)
July 25 – Germany (Hockenheim)
August 1 – Hungary (Budapest)
August 22 – Belgium (Spa-Francorchamps)
September 5 – Italy (Monza)
September 19 – China (Shanghai)
September 26 – Singapore (Singapore)
October 10 – Japan (Suzuka)
October 24 – Brazil (Interlagos)
November 7 – Abu Dhabi (Yas Marina)