FIA releases 2018 Formula 1 race calendar with historic changes, dates and venues

The Formula 1 race calendar for 2018 was approved by the FIA following a meeting of the World Motor Sport Council on Wednesday (6 December).

The 21-race campaign will begin as usual in March in Australia and end in Abu Dhabi in November. The French Grand Prix and the German Grand Prix are making a return to the calendar for the first time since 2008 and 2016 respectively.

2018 will be a record-breaking season after F1 introduced the first ever triple header in the history of the sport. The French Grand Prix, the Austrian and the British Grand Prix at Silverstone will be held on back-to-back weekends between 24 June and 8 July.

Apart from that, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix will be held two months earlier than this year in April, while the Russian Grand Prix has moved to a late September slot after holding the fourth race of the season in 2017. Bahrain and China have swapped places with Sakhir now hosting the first double-header of the season in April.

Malaysia has dropped out from the race calendar following a 19-year association with the sport after the nation's Sport and Youth Affairs minister admitted that the cost of running the Grand Prix was too high compared to the returns.

If you're a tennis fan and a Formula 1 fan, there could be conundrum to solve in June as the Canadian Grand Prix clashes with the final of the French Open, both falling on 10 June.

Formula 1 2018 calendar