Final changes to 2010 F1 calendar

In the aftermath of an FIA World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) meeting on Friday, the sport's governing body has confirmed the final calendar ahead of the 2010 World Championship season. In modifications to the original plan, Abu Dhabi will retain the final race slot as the Japanese and Korean Grands Prix move back by one week each. As known previously, Bahrain will kick off the season on 14 March before a fortnight's break leads the championship into Australia. Malaysia – now with a 4pm start time – and China will follow before Barcelona once again welcomes the European season, just one week ahead of Monaco which was moved forward in order to allow time for team transportation to Istanbul.

The Canadian Grand Prix makes its welcome return in June before Valencia's European Grand Prix slots into the end of the month in order to avoid both the immense heat and Spanish holiday period which coincided with its previous August date. After much wrangling, the British Grand Prix at Silverstone has been officially confirmed for Sunday 11 July, coincidently the same date as the football World Cup final in South Africa.

The largest final change to the schedule is found at the end, as Abu Dhabi's request to keep the last race of the season has been accepted, with Brazil therefore becoming the penultimate fixture for the second year in succession. The Grands Prix of Japan and Korea, which follow each other on the calendar, have both been put back by one week.

2010 FIA Formula One World Championship

14/3 BHR Bahrain
28/3 AUS Australia
4/4 MYS Malaysia
18/4 CHN China
9/5 ESP Spain
16/5 MCO Monaco
30/5 TUR Turkey
13/6 CAN Canada
27/6 ESP Europe (Valencia)
11/7 GBR Great Britain
25/7 DEU Germany
1/8 HUN Hungary
29/8 BEL Belgium
12/9 ITA Italy
26/9 SGP Singapore
10/10 JPN Japan
24/10 KOR Korea*
7/11 BRA Brazil
14/11 ARE Abu Dhabi

*Subject to the homologation of the circuit.

Note: The races in Australia and Abu Dhabi will start at 1700 local time, in Malaysia at 1600 local time, in Canada at 1200 local time, in Singapore at 2000 local time, and in Japan at 1500 local time.