The 2016 F1 season is set to feature 21 races with the first round taking place on April 3 after approval from the FIA.
A meeting of the World Motor Sport Council in Mexico City on Friday saw the provisional calendar approved, with the season set to start in April in Melbourne. The inaugural race in Azerbaijan is scheduled in for July 17, while the German Grand Prix returns and there are a number of back-to-back races including Singapore and Malaysia in September.
With Malaysia dropping to late in the season, the Russian Grand Prix in Sochi will be the fourth round of the year as part of a back-to-back pairing with Bahrain, following another initial back-to-back of Australia and China.
The full calendar for 2016 released by the FIA is as follows:
| Round | Race | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Australian Grand Prix (Melbourne) | 3 April |
| 2 | Chinese Grand Prix (Shanghai) | 10 April |
| 3 | Bahrain Grand Prix (Sakhir) | 24 April |
| 4 | Russian Grand Prix (Sochi) | 1 May |
| 5 | Spanish Grand Prix (Barcelona) | 15 May |
| 6 | Monaco Grand Prix (Monte Carlo) | 29 May |
| 7 | Canadian Grand Prix (Montreal) | 12 June |
| 8 | British Grand Prix (Silverstone) | 26 June |
| 9 | Austrian Grand Prix (Spielberg) | 3 July |
| 10 | European Grand Prix (Baku) | 17 July |
| 11 | German Grand Prix (TBC) | 31 July |
| 12 | Hungarian Grand Prix (Budapest) | 7 August |
| 13 | Belgian Grand Prix (Spa-Francorchamps) | 28 August |
| 14 | Italian Grand Prix (Monza) | 4 September |
| 15 | Singapore Grand Prix (Marina Bay) | 18 September |
| 16 | Malaysian Grand Prix (Sepang) | 25 September |
| 17 | Japanese Grand Prix (Suzuka) | 9 October |
| 18 | United States Grand Prix (Austin) | 23 October |
| 19 | Mexican Grand Prix (Mexico City) | 30 October |
| 20 | Brazilian Grand Prix (Interlagos) | 13 November |
| 21 | Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (Yas Marina) | 27 November |
Click here for a lighter look back at some scenes from the British Grand Prix
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