Twenty-one races on the 2012 calendar

Gathered at the World Council today in Barcelona, the FIA unveiled the first draft of the 2012 calendar, which includes the United States Grand Prix, bringing the total number of races on the schedule to twenty-one.

As originally planned in 2011, the season will open in Bahrain on March 11, 2012, and will conclude in Brazil on November 25, 2012. The main change is the South Korean Grand Prix, scheduled at the beginning of the season, extending the Asian tour, while the United States Grand Prix will take place from June 15 to 17, 2012, one week after the Canadian Grand Prix.

As in 2011, Malaysia and China will be only a week apart, just like Spain and Monaco, Germany and Hungary, Belgium and Italy, while the beginning of the season will be intense, with the Australian Grand Prix following closely after the Bahrain Grand Prix, without the three-week break that preceded this year’s return to Europe.

As in previous years, Formula One will take a summer break to recharge both the teams and the machines before entering the final stretch, starting with the Belgian Grand Prix.

The only unknown in this provisional calendar is the Turkish Grand Prix, scheduled for May 6, 2012, where the financial disagreement between the deficit organization and Bernie Ecclestone remains to be resolved.

CALENDAR F1 2012 (PROVISIONAL)

**March 11:** Bahrain

March 18: Australia

April 1st: Malaysia

April 8: China

April 22: South Korea

May 6: Turkey (To be confirmed)

May 20th: Spain

May 27: Monaco

June 10: Canada

June 17: United States

July 1st: Europe

July 15: Great Britain

**July 29:** Germany

August 5: Hungary

September 2: Belgium

September 9: Italy

September 30: Singapore

October 14: Japan

October 28: India

November 11: Abu Dhabi

November 25: Brazil