Bahrain to not host Formula 1 2025 opener as schedule confirmed
Bahrain has been the inaugural host for the past four years
Formula 1 has confirmed a 24-race schedule for 2025 that will see the season commence in Australia for the first time since 2019.
The 2025 calendar features the same 24 circuits as F1's 2024 schedule, which marked the longest in the sport's history, but there have been alterations to the order for the world championship's 75th anniversary season.
Bahrain has been the inaugural host for the past four years, yet the timing of Ramadan next year necessitates the Sakhir race, along with the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, to be postponed to April.
This means Australia, last slated to host the opening race in 2020 before the onset of the coronavirus pandemic led to the event's cancellation, will now step in to host from March 14-16, coinciding with Lewis Hamilton's debut for Ferrari.
F1 president Stefano Domenicali said: "2025 will be a special year as we celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the FIA Formula One World Championship, and it's that legacy and experience that allows us to deliver such a strong calendar.
"Once again, we'll visit 24 incredible venues around the world, delivering top class racing, hospitality, and entertainment, which will be enjoyed by millions of fans worldwide."
In a reversal from their running order in 2024, China will follow Australia as the second race before Japan continues in the spring spot it occupied for the first time this year.
With Ramadan over, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia follow with back-to-back races in April.
From there on, there are only minor tweaks to the 2024 calendar, with the Spanish Grand Prix - taking place in Barcelona for the final time before it switches to Madrid in 2026 - moved in front of the Canadian Grand Prix.
That makes Barcelona the final venue for one of two triple-headers during the 2025 season, with the preceding races in Imola and Monaco.
The British Grand Prix, scheduled for 4th to 6th July at Silverstone, is now part of a double - rather than triple - header, following on from the Austrian Grand Prix.
Another small change sees Belgium and Hungary swap places in the double-header that precedes the August summer break, with Budapest now hosting the last race, on 3rd August, before a four-week pause.
The races after the summer break, starting with the Dutch Grand Prix from 29th to 31st August, run in the same order as in 2024, with the only change being a weekend off introduced between the Mexico City and Sao Paulo events to prevent the season ending with two triple-headers.
The final three races, however, are once more without pause, as Las Vegas hosts from 20th to 22nd November before the season heads to Qatar and ends in Abu Dhabi on 7th December.
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