FIA confirms Bahrain and China swap for 2018 F1 calendar

Formula One will visit Bahrain before China in 2018 in a switch to the schedule from this season, the FIA has confirmed.

The Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir.

Bahrain will hold the second race of the 2018 Formula One calendar after the FIA confirmed it will swap places with China.

The Shanghai International Circuit hosted after the season opener in Australia in 2017 but it will drop to third in the schedule next year.

It is a switch to the proposed calendar released by F1 in June, with the rest of the schedule remaining as planned.

That means the Azerbaijan Grand Prix moves to April to accommodate the return of a race at the Circuit Paul Ricard in France – it's first time back in F1 since 2008.

Azerbaijan occupies the slot formerly held by Russia, the race in Sochi switching to September to allow the German Grand Prix its return at Hockenheim.

Abu Dhabi will once again host the final race of the campaign at the Yas Marina Circuit.