(Sahara Force India F1 Team)
The Formula 1 calendar will expand to its heaviest-ever workload for 2016, with 21 races that include a new venue for the European Grand Prix in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Australia will host the season opener on March 20, once again concluding at Abu Dhabi on November 27. The Baku race on June 19 will be scheduled to avoid a conflict with the closing of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which ends at 3 p.m. local time in France.
Most notably, the F1 championship will return to Hockenheim on July 31 after Germany’s disappointing absence from the 2015 calendar.
The schedule also includes six back-to-back weekends: Canada and Baku, Austria and Great Britain, Hungary and Germany, Belgium and Italy, Malaysia and Japan, and the USA and Mexico, although recent news of financial instability at the Circuit of the Americas in Texas has the October 23 race tentatively scheduled until further notice.
Baku City Circuit details
The new, six-kilometre, Hermann Tilke-designed Baku City Circuit will run through the city’s Azadliq Square and around the House of Government. Along with numerous tight sections reminiscent of city circuits such as Monaco, the 20 turn track features upwards of five turns near or beyond 90-degrees.
2016 F1 calendar
March 20 - Australia
April 3 - Bahrain
April 17 - China
May 1 - Sochi
May 15 - Spain
May 29 - Monaco
June 12 - Canada
June 19 - Baku*
July 3 - Austria
July 10 - Great Britain
July 24 - Hungary
July 31 - Germany
August 28 - Belgium
September 4 - Italy
September 18 - Singapore
October 2 - Malaysia
October 9 - Japan
October 23 - USA**
October 30 - Mexico
November 13 - Brazil
November 27 - Abu Dhabi
* Race start to be scheduled to avoid conflict with the conclusion of the 24 Hours of Le Mans
** Subject to agreement with the promoter and the ASN