F1 2025 season: When does the new campaign start at the ...

18 Oct 2024

The Independent

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Australia will host the opening race of the Formula 1 season next year afrer confirmation of the 2025 schedule – with no new races once again on the calendar.

It means Lewis Hamilton will debut for Ferrari at Albert Park in Melbourne, which last hosted the first race in 2019 after Covid put paid to the 2020 opener. Australia will stage the first race of the season on Sunday 16 March - two weeks later than this year’s start date.

Bahrain has hosted the first race of the season since 2021, following on from pre-season testing at the same track in Lusail, but has moved to April due to Ramadan.

Saudi has also moved to April, with China and Japan being shifted forward a month to races two and three respectively.

The 24-race season will finish in Abu Dhabi on 7 December. The 2025 British Grand Prix takes place on 4-6 July at Silverstone.

Pre-season testing will remain in Bahrain, two weeks prior to the first race, with three days of running on 26-28 February.

For the second year running, there will be no new races on the schedule. 2026 is set to be different, though, with Madrid already confirmed as the new home of the Spanish Grand Prix, meaning 2025 could be the last year Barcelona hosts an F1 race.

Other calendar alterations include a triple-header in April between Japan-Bahrain-Saudi, while Spain has moved forward three weeks to the end of May/start of June.

Australia will host the first race of the 2025 F1 season (Getty Images)

Belgium and Hungary have swapped weekends too, with Budapest now hosting the final race before the customary summer break.

This year sees a four-week gap in autumn but there will be no such space in the calendar next year, with just one week’s rest in-between Singapore and Austin in October.

2025 F1 CALENDAR IN FULL:

PRE-SEASON TESTING - BAHRAIN

Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir - 26-28 February

ROUND 1 - AUSTRALIA

Albert Park, Melbourne - 14-16 March

ROUND 2 - CHINA

Shanghai International Circuit - 21-23 March

ROUND 3 - JAPAN

Suzuka International Racing Course - 4-6 April

ROUND 4 —BAHRAIN

Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir - 11-13 April

ROUND 5 - SAUDI ARABIA