French GP marks return in F1 calendar
ABU DHABI WILL HOST THE TRADITIONAL FINAL RACE AT YAS MARINA ON NOVEMBER 25
ormula One races in Bahrain and China will swap places early in the season as initially planned following approval of the 2018 F1 calendar on Wednesday.
Motorsport’s governing body, the FIA, confirmed the proposed switch, with the Bahrain race taking place at the Sakhir circuit on April 8 and the Chinese GP in Shanghai a week later.
As usual, the F1 season begins with the Australian GP in Melbourne on March 25.
All the other races in the 21race calendar were confirmed from the original plan set out in June, with the exception of the United States GP in Austin on October 21 being subject to confirmation. Abu Dhabi will host the traditional final race at the Yas Marina Circuit on November 25.
Questions were raised about the Brazilian GP being held next year in Sao Paulo after serious security scares last month. Members of Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes team were robbed at gunpoint in their minivan while leaving the track. Valuables were stolen but there were no injuries reported.
Street crime is endemic in Brazil, which has been battered in the last several years by its worst recession in memory.
Thieves at the F1 race often target cars stuck in traffic jams at the exit of the circuit located about 30 kilometres south of Sao Paulo city centre.
At this year’s race, FIA spokesperson Matteo Bonciani said the car in which he was leaving the track was stopped by gun-wielding assailants who attempted to smash in the bulletproof windows with the vehicle stuck in traffic.
In response to these latest incidents, new security measures were proposed on Wednesday.
The FIA directly urged that the race promoter use an “independent security expert to evaluate and advise on security plans”, while also implementing a police reporting hub at the circuit and improving “overall communication between the promoter security, police and F1 stakeholders.”
The French GP, meanwhile, returns after a 10-year absence March 25: Melbourne, Australia April 8: Sakhir, Bahrain April 15: Shanghai, China April 29: Baku, Azerbaijan May 13: Barcelona, Spain May 27: Monaco June 10: Montreal, Canada June 24: Le Castellet, France July 1: Spielberg, Austria July 8: Silverstone, England July 22: Hockenheim, Germany
and will be hosted at the iconic Paul Ricard circuit, also known as Le Castellet, in southern France on June 24.
Paul Ricard last hosted the French GP in 1990. The race was then organised at MagnyCours from 1991-2008 but was dropped from the calendar in July 29: Budapest, Hungary Aug. 26: Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium Sept. 2: Monza, Italy Sept. 16: Singapore Sept. 30: Sochi, Russia Oct. 7: Suzuka, Japan Oct. 21: Austin, United States (subject to confirmation) Oct. 28: Mexico City, Mexico Nov. 11: Sao Paulo, Brazil Nov. 25: Abu Dhabi
2008 because of
The German GP, which has struggled with attendances and track fees, was scrapped this year but will return at Hockenheim on July 22.
The Azerbaijan GP has been moved forward to April 29,
financial issues. making it the fourth race of the season. The Russian GP in Sochi, held this year at the end of April, shifts to September 30. That late September slot was normally reserved for the Malaysian GP, which has been dropped.
There were doubts over the Singapore GP, subject to commercial rights holder confirmation, but it will go ahead on September 16.