After seven years on the calendar, it has been confirmed that the Turkish race will not take place in 2012 after the Istanbul circuit’s operators failed to agree a new deal with F1 rights holder Bernie Ecclestone. The race has struggled to attract adequate attendances since its introduction to the schedule in 2005.
The new calendar, which was confirmed by a fax vote of the World Motor Sport Council members, saw Bahrain handed an April 22 slot. Bahrain was cut from the 2011 calendar due to political unrest in the country, and a provisional calendar for the 2012 campaign had originally scheduled back-to-back races involving the Gulf Kingdom and Middle Eastern neighbour Abu Dhabi later in the year.
The season will start in Australia on March 18 and will be followed a week later by the Malaysian Grand Prix before a three-week gap until the China and Bahrain double-header. The campaign will finish in Brazil on November 25 – earlier than initially suggested due to complaints from team officials. The returning US Grand Prix at Austin in Texas will be the penultimate race of the season on November 18.
