Paris: The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will remain the climax of the Formula One season after the 2017 schedule was confirmed on Wednesday.
The 2017 race will take place on November 26, and officials will be hoping for similar drama to 2016, when Lewis Hamilton slowed down to try and allow the cars behind Nico Rosberg to catch up.
The European Grand Prix in Baku will be staged a week earlier in 2017 to avoid clashing with the famed Le Mans 24 Hour Race, motor racing’s governing body the FIA said.
In a schedule reduced to 20 races, rather than the 21 of 2016, the Baku race will be staged on June 25, a week after Le Mans, which runs over June 17 and 18.
Missing from the programme for next year is the German Grand Prix. Nuremberg is financially unable to stage the race while 2016 host Hockenheim was not willing to take it on for two seasons back-to-back.
Nuremberg also passed up the opportunity in 2015.
The lack of a German race means newly-crowned world champion Nico Rosberg will not have the opportunity to race in front of his home fans in 2017.
Rosberg will start the defence of his Formula One world title in Australia on March 26 with Abu Dhabi again staging the season finale, on November 26.
Other tweaks see the British Grand Prix at Silverstone move to a week later on July 16, the same day as the Wimbledon tennis men’s singles final.
Brazil’s race at Interlagos in Sao Paulo is still to be officially confirmed as negotiations continue between the promoter and the sport’s ringmaster Bernie Ecclestone.
