2019 F1 calendar receives final FIA approval

The proposed Formula 1 calendar for the 2019 season has received final FIA approval following the latest World Motor Sport Council meeting in St. Petersburg, Russia, on Wednesday.

F1 announced its provisional 2019 schedule at the beginning of September, featuring the same 21 races that made up the 2018 calendar with a handful of minor date tweaks, with the FIA giving its initial approval at the previous WMSC meeting in October.

The season will start one week earlier than in 2018, with the Australian Grand Prix due to be held on March 17, and will finish one week later than this year's campaign. Abu Dhabi will stage the season finale on December 1.

Bahrain and China are no longer back-to-back, and the triple-header from 2018 has been avoided. Russia has now been paired with Singapore instead of Japan, while Mexico and the USA have swapped places to become rounds 18 and 19 respectively.

The WMSC gave its final approval to the planned schedule in Wednesday's meeting, making the 2019 calendar official.

FORMULA 1 2019 CALENDAR

1. Australia - March 17
2. Bahrain - March 31
3. China - April 14
4. Azerbaijan - April 28
5. Spain - May 12
6. Monaco - May 26
7. Canada - June 9
8. France - June 23
9. Austria - June 30
10. Great Britain - July 14
11. Germany - July 28
12. Hungary - August 4
13. Belgium - September 1
14. Italy - September 8
15. Singapore - September 22
16. Russia - September 29
17. Japan - October 13
18. Mexico - October 27
19. USA - November 3
20. Brazil - November 17
21. Abu Dhabi - December 1