Formula One: Turkey GP slashed from 2012 F1 calendar

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The Turkish Grand Prix has been axed from the Formula One Grand Prix season for next year after a seven-year run.

Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone had left a question mark against the Istanbul track when he issued a provisional list of races for next year in July.

But the 20-strong definitive list agreed by the World Motor Sport Council saw Turkey lose out while Bahrain returned to the programme after missing out this year due to domestic civil unrest.

Whilst the Turkey Grand Prix has regularly thrown up good races, attendances have been poor and Ecclestone was unable to agree a new deal with race organisers sealing its fate.

Bahrain is back with a slot on April 22. The provisional calendar in July had Bahrain back-to-back with Middle Eastern neighbour Abu Dhabi late in the year in the belief that pairing it with its neighbgour would allow further time for peace to be restored to the Gulf kingdom.

However, it has been decided the race will be the fourth in the calendar, and will be back-to-back with China.

The season will start in Australia on March 18, to be followed a week later by the Malaysian Grand Prix, and then a three-week gap to the China and Bahrain double-header.

As in the provisional calendar there will be a five-week summer break, with the tail end of the season seeing back-to-back races in Belgium/Italy, Japan/Korea, India/Abu Dhabi and concluding with the United States/Brazil on November 18 and 25.

The return of the US Grand Prix was initially pencilled in for June and was back-to-back with Canada, but due to concerns regarding the 40-degree heat at that time of year, it now becomes the penultimate race of the season.

The calendar for the 2012 Formula One Grand Prix championship:-

March 18 - Australia (Melbourne)

March 25 - Malaysia (Sepang)

April 15 - China (Shanghai)

April 22 - Bahrain (Sakhir)

May 13 - Spain (Barcelona)

May 27 - Monaco (Monte Carlo)

June 10 - Canada (Montreal)

June 24 - Europe (Valencia)

July 8 - Britain (Silverstone)

July 22 - Germany (Hockenheim)

July 29 - Hungary (Budapest)

September 2 - Belgium (Spa-Francorchamps)

September 9 - Italy (Monza)

September 23 - Singapore

October 7 - Japan (Suzuka)

October 14 - Korea (Yeongam)

October 28 - India (Greater Noida)

November 4 - Abu Dhabi

November 18 - United States (Austin)

November 25 - Brazil (Sao Paulo)