F1 will enjoy a triple-header in 2018!

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The FIA published F1's preliminary calendar for 2018 and teams will enjoy - well, maybe not - a triple-header, a first in F1 history.

Building next season's 21-race schedule required a bit of creativity in order to accommodate the return of the French and German Grand Prix, at Paul Ricard and Hockenheim respectively.

The FIA's World Sport Council meeting in Geneva yielded a draft which puts France on June 24 followed by Austria and Great-Britain on the trot.

A bit of reshuffling moves the Azerbaijan GP from June to April, while the Russian GP is switched from April to September, just a week before Suzuka.

The FIA has also listed races in China and Singapore as provisional as they are subject to confirmation from the commercial rights holder.

In the end there will be no clash with Le Mans, as the WEC officials predicted, but the three-in-a-row early summer stint will likely require some extended logistics on the part of F1 teams.

Speaking of clashes, there will be a series of overlapping dates between F1 and Formula E.

Calendars are hard to manufacture!

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.