22 Races of 2014 F1 Calendar

The Championship 2014 Formula 1 provides a record 22 races including the first Russian Grand Prix scheduled on October 5, two weeks earlier than expected, according to the schedule adopted last weekend by the World Council of the automobile.

The Russian organizing committee announced in July that the Russian Grand Prix was scheduled for 19 October in Sochi city between the edges of the Black Sea and the Caucasus Mountains, the host of the Winter Olympics in February. Expenditures for the Grand Prix wanted by President Vladimir Putin and organized on the site of the future Olympic Games have increased by more than 70% compared to initial estimates, had reported last week the daily Vedomosti.

The cost of improvements is estimated at 11 billion rubles (260 million euros), against 148 million euros at the time of the signing in 2010 of the Agreement between Vladimir Putin, then prime minister, and Bernie Ecclestone, the big treasurer of F1, as Vedomosti citing Tsentr Omega Project Group.

Mexico is back in business for the first time since 1992, on the old circuit Brothers Rodriguez in Mexico City, which will be renovated in time for a GP set on 16 November.

Also return to the Austrian GP Red Bull Ring (formerly A1 Ring) being renovated by Dietrich Mateschitz, the energy drink magnate.

The Belgian Grand Prix will take place on August 24 at Spa-Francorchamps.

Bahrain tipped to be night race in 2014?

Bahrain will celebrate its tenth anniversary as a F1 host by staging next year's race under lights.

Although 2014 will not be the tenth Bahrain Grand Prix, because the race was removed from the calendar in 2011 due to the island Kingdom's civil unrest outbreak, it will be the tenth anniversary of the first race in 2004. To mark the occasion, circuit chairman Zayed Alzayani revealed earlier this year: "We are looking at many options.

"A night race could be one of them, but it is not the only one. There are pros and cons to doing it."

It appears the 'pros' have won the day, with European publications Speed Week (Germany) and Italiaracing (Italy) reporting that the deal was agreed between Alzayani and Bernie Ecclestone at Monza at the weekend. Speed Week said the news will be confirmed 'in the coming days', while Italia racing said the work to install the lighting systems should be complete by February.

According to the draft calendar that did the rounds at Monza, Bahrain will host the fifth round of the 2014 championship, in late April. Speed Week correspondent Mathias Brunner said: "It is still unclear whether Bahrain will be a twilight race, like Abu Dhabi, or a pure night race, like Singapore."

Mexico In and New Jersey Out - 2014 Formula One Provisional Calendar

Formula 1 is set for a 21-race calendar next year, including the return of Mexico but no New Jersey race, AUTOSPORT can reveal. A first draft of the 2014 provisional calendar has been distributed to teams ahead of this weekend's Italian Grand Prix.

Although the 2014 schedule needs to be approved at a meeting of the FIA's World Motor Sport Council that takes place in Croatia on September 26-28, teams are bracing themselves for F1's longest ever season. An early version of the schedule, which has been seen by AUTOSPORT, does not include the proposed event in New Jersey that F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone had hoped to include. However, it will feature events in Russia and Mexico, providing the circuits are ready in time.

As has been widely expected, the season will start in Australia on March 16 for the traditional double-header with Malaysia. The Korean Grand Prix has been moved from the end of season run of flyaway events to become the fourth race of the campaign, taking place in the week after the Chinese GP. However, the event is likely to only be made official subject to the completion of a contract with Formula One Management.

The returning Austrian GP is penciled in for June 22, earlier than the July 6 date that it was originally scheduled for. The new Russian GP at Sochi will become a back-to-back with Abu Dhabi, while the Mexican GP is being twinned with the USA GP at Austin. The Spanish GP is set to take place at Barcelona, with Valencia not making it back on to the schedule, while the German GP will return to Hockenheim.

DRAFT 2014 CALENDAR

March 16 - Australia (Melbourne)
March 23 - Malaysia (Sepang)
April 6 - China (Shanghai)
April 13 – Korea* (Korea International Circuit)
April 27 – Bahrain (Sakhir)
May 11 – Spain (Barcelona)
May 25 – Monaco (Monaco)
June 8 – Canada (Montreal)
June 22 – Austria (Red Bull Ring)
July 6 – Britain (Silverstone)
July 20 – Germany (Hockenheim)
July 27 – Hungary (Budapest)
August 24 – Belgium (Spa)
September 7 – Italy (Monza)
September 21 – Singapore (Marina Bay)
October 5 - Japan (Suzuka)
October 19 – Russia* (Sochi)
October 26 – Abu Dhabi (Yas Marina)
November 9 – Mexico* (Mexico City)
November 16 – USA (Circuit of the Americas)
November 30 – Brazil (Interlagos)

* (subject to confirmation of track/contract)