At Monday’s World Motor Sport Council meeting, the first draft of the 2018 Formula 1 schedule was released, with a few notable tweaks.
The return of the French Grand Prix at Paul Ricard slots in on June 24, and a week after the 2018 24 Hours of Le Mans, June 16-17.
What that race being added does is create a tentative tripleheader with the French, Austrian and British Grands Prix all in successive weeks, a first for F1.
Germany is also back as it’s not on this year’s calendar, scheduled for July 22 at Hockenheim.
Elsewhere Baku moves from its current June slot into the end of April (April 29), while the Russian Grand Prix moves back to September (Sept. 30) after two years in April as the first in a back-to-back with the Japanese Grand Prix.
With Malaysia out, the calendar is at 21 races.
The tentative calendar is below (*subject to commercial rights holder confirmation):
| 25 March | Melbourne | Australia |
| 8 April | Shanghai* | China |
| 15 April | Sakhir | Bahrain |
| 29 April | Baku | Azerbaijan |
| 13 May | Barcelona | Spain |
| 27 May | Monaco | Monaco |
| 10 June | Montreal | Canada |
| 24 June | Le Castellet | France |
| 1 July | Spielberg | Austria |
| 8 July | Silverstone | Great Britain |
| 22 July | Hockenheim | Germany |
| 29 July | Budapest | Hungary |
| 26 August | Spa-Francorchamps | Belgium |
| 2 September | Monza | Italy |
| 16 September | Singapore* | Singapore |
| 30 September | Sochi | Russia |
| 7 October | Suzuka | Japan |
| 21 October | Austin | USA |
| 28 October | Mexico City | Mexico |
| 11 November | Sao Paulo | Brazil |
| 25 November | Yas Marina | Abu Dhabi |