Paris, Dec 7 (AP) Formula One races in Bahrain and Chinawill swap places early in the season as initially plannedfollowing approval of the 2018 F1 calendar.
Motor sport's governing body FIA confirmed the proposedswitch, with Bahrain taking place at the Sakhir circuit onApril 8 and the Chinese GP in Shanghai a week later.
As usual, the F1 season begins with the Australian GP inMelbourne on March 25.
All the other races in the 21-race calendar wereconfirmed from the original plan set out in June, with theexception of the United States GP in Austin on Oct. 21 beingsubject to confirmation.
Brazil (Nov. 11 at Interlagos) and Abu Dhabi (Nov. 25 atYas Marina) are the last two races.
Questions were raised about the Brazilian GP being heldnext year in Sao Paulo after serious security scares lastmonth.
Members of Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes team were robbed atgun point in their minivan while leaving the track. Valuableswere stolen but there were no injuries reported.
Street crime is endemic in Brazil, which has beenbattered in the last several years by its worst recession inmemory.
Thieves at the F1 race often target cars stuck in trafficjams at the exit of the circuit located about 30 kilometers(20 miles) south of Sao Paulo city center.
At this year's race, FIA spokesman Matteo Bonciani saidthe car in which he was leaving the track was assaulted bygun-wielding assailants who attempted to smash in the bullet-proof windows with the vehicle stuck in traffic.
In response to these latest incidents, new securitymeasures were proposed Wednesday.
The FIA directly urged that the race promoter uses an"independent security expert to evaluate and advise onsecurity plans," while implementing a police reporting hub atthe circuit and improving "overall communication between thepromoter security, police and F1 stakeholders."The French GP, meanwhile, returns after a 10-year absenceand will be hosted at the iconic Paul Ricard circuit, alsoknown as Le Castellet, in southern France on June 24.
Paul Ricard last hosted the French GP in 1990. The racewas then organized at Magny-Cours from 1991-2008 but wasdropped from the calendar in 2008 because of financial issues.
The German GP, which has struggled with attendances andtrack fees, was scrapped this year but will return atHockenheim on July 22.
The Azerbaijan GP has been moved forward to April 29,making it the fourth race of the season. The Russian GP inSochi, held this year at the end of April, shifts to Sept. 30.
That late September slot was normally reserved for theMalaysian GP, which has been dropped.
There were doubts over the Singapore GP, subject tocommercial rights holder confirmation, but it will go ahead onSept. 16.
2018 schedule:March 25: Melbourne, AustraliaApril 8: Sakhir, BahrainApril 15: Shanghai, ChinaApril 29: Baku, AzerbaijanMay 13: Barcelona, SpainMay 27: MonacoJune 10: Montreal, CanadaJune 24: Le Castellet, FranceJuly 1: Spielberg, AustriaJuly 8: Silverstone, EnglandJuly 22: Hockenheim, GermanyJuly 29: Budapest, HungaryAug. 26: Spa-Francorchamps, BelgiumSept. 2: Monza, ItalySept. 16: SingaporeSept. 30: Sochi, RussiaOct. 7: Suzuka, JapanOct. 21: Austin, United States (asterisk) (subject toconfirmation)Oct. 28: Mexico City, MexicoNov. 11: Sao Paulo, BrazilNov. 25: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (AP) CMCM.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.