2025 F1 season to start with Australia-China double

The 2025 Formula 1 calendar has been released, with next season set to start with back-to-back races in Australia and China due to the impact of Ramadan on events in the Middle East. The change from the recent schedule of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia opening the season has been necessitated by the timing of Ramadan throughout March, and after starting this year’s championship at the very end of February, 2025 reverts to the more traditional mid-March first race weekend on March 16. Following Melbourne and Shanghai, teams will be faced with a races on three straight weekends featuring Japan, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, all three happening in April and ensuring the season kicks off with five races in six weeks. Miami then retains its place as the final stop before the European season gets underway, with the trip to Florida on May 4, ahead of a another tripleheader of Imola, Monaco and Barcelona in May. As in 2024, there will be 24 races, but there are slight changes that make Baku and Singapore standalone races in September and October — as opposed to back-to-back this year — and what is currently a tripleheader of United States-Mexico-Brazil revert to a back-to-back pairing in Austin and Mexico City and then a standalone in Sao Paulo. The season will again finish with a tripleheader of Las Vegas-Qatar-Abu Dhabi, with the final round being held on December 7 next season. “2025 will be a special year as we celebrate the 75th anniversary of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship, and it’s that legacy and experience that allows us to deliver such a strong calendar,” F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali said. “Once again, we’ll visit 24 incredible venues around the world, delivering top class racing, hospitality, and entertainment, which will be enjoyed by millions of fans worldwide. “We’re grateful to the FIA, our promoters, host city partners, and all the related ASNs for their commitment and support in delivering this schedule and securing what promises to be another fantastic year for Formula 1. I would also like to pay tribute to our F1 teams and drivers, the heroes of our sport, and our fans around the world for continuing to follow Formula 1 with such incredible enthusiasm.” FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem says the new calendar continues attempts to regionalize the schedule, following a 2024 season that features Australia, Japan and China as standalone races. “The 2025 FIA Formula 1 World Championship calendar, approved by the World Motor Sport Council, is a further illustration of our collective mission of meeting sustainability objectives through the regionalization of events,” Ben Sulayem said. “While our focus is on the overall stability of Formula 1, we also have a shared duty to the environment and to the health and well-being of traveling staff. “Formula One Management, under the direction of Stefano Domenicali, have produced a calendar which strikes a good blend of traditional circuits and modern venues. We thank the host ASNs, the local organizers and the many thousands of FIA volunteers for their tireless efforts in making Formula 1 a truly global, mass audience spectacle as we prepare to celebrate the sport’s 75th year.”