F1 2019 schedule: 21-race calendar and December finish

Formula 1 has revealed another 21-race schedule for 2019 - with the season to finish in December for the first time in over 50 years.

The calendar has been formally ratified by the World Motor Sport Council.

The German GP at Hockenheim retains its place on the calendar after striking a new deal with the sport, as does the Japanese GP at Suzuka in a new agreement until 2021.

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The 2019 campaign will start as usual in Australia, but one week earlier on March 17, while the Abu Dhabi season finale will take place one week later - with race-day on December 1.

An F1 season last finished in December in 1963.

The British GP at Silverstone, currently the final event scheduled on the venue's current contract, takes place on July 14.

The schedule features five back-to-back race weekends but no repeat of this year's unprecedented triple-header.

China, the third event of the season, will have the honour of staging F1's 1,000th Grand Prix.

New deals for Germany and Japan
With plans for a new street race in Miami shelved for at least 12 months, the calendar had looked set to drop to 20 events with Germany not having been expected to secure a deal for 2019.

But the success of July's Hockenheim event after a year's absence appears to have proved a game-changer with an agreement reached for Germany to stage races in consecutive years for the first time since 2013-14.

Mercedes will become the event's title sponsor next year.

"This year's Grand Prix in Hockenheim was a demonstration of the enthusiasm that Formula 1 generates in Germany," said Mercedes boss Toto Wolff. "It was therefore important for us to do everything in our power to ensure that our home race will take place again next year.

"Together with Formula 1 and all the relevant stakeholders, we have found a way to make it happen."

Japan was also out of contract after this year but a new three-year deal for the popular Suzuka venue was confirmed at the Italian GP. The Belgian GP at Spa secured its own contract until 2021 earlier this year.

What's different compared to 2018?

• The season starts one week earlier in 2019 and finishes one week later
• Bahrain and China are no longer back-to-back
• But Singapore and Russia are now back-to-back
• There is no repeat of F1's first triple header
• The summer break starts one week later in August, but there remains a four-week break between race days
• Mexico and the USA swap positions on the calendar

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