Test, sprint details missing from 2025 calendar

A few question marks continue to hang over the newly-announced Formula 1 season calendar for 2025.

Another 24-race calendar awaits next year, with both F1 and the FIA confirming speculation that it will be Melbourne rather than Bahrain that opens the schedule on 16 March - due to Ramadan.

FIA president Mohammed ben Sulayem hailed the better sequencing of the races "through the regionalisation of events", assisting the "health and wellbeing of travelling staff".

According to Auto Motor und Sport, however, there are still some outstanding questions.

"It has not yet been decided where the pre-season testing will take place," correspondent Tobias Gruner said.

"As Bahrain is not the start of the season, it would be advisable to test once again in southern Europe and thus cut costs. But we hear that Bahrain would like to invite the Formula 1 circuit back to Sakhir for testing in February.

"One advantage of that is more consistent weather conditions, but on the negative side, there would be logistical problems with the supply of spare parts."

Another question-mark, Gruner added, are which venues will be assigned ’sprint’ weekend format status - with six such weekends likely yet again in 2025.

"F1 authorities are still in negotiations with the individual race promoters," said Gruner.

"As always, the winners will be those races that are willing to pay the biggest premium for the additional action."