By Luke Marc Carlile-Stanton
July 27 2007

The FIA has given a provisional calender for the 2008 FIA Formula 1 World Championship. Two new venues-both of which are Street Circuits, make the calender in the shape of the new European Grand Prix at Valencia in Spain and the proposed night race in Singapore. Although effectively the German Grand Prix, Nurburgring played host to the European Grand Prix in 2007, but the two German tracks swap every other year and 2008 is Hockenheim's turn to stage the Formula 1 in Germany.

With Nurburgring not on the calender the European Grand Prix void has to be filled and it is done so by the new street circuit race in Valencia in Spain. Spain getting two races per year helped by the surge of interest of motorsport in Spain since Fernando Alonso arrived on the scene and won back to back titles in 2005 and 2006 and looking strong to fight a third this season.

The Singapore Grand Prix like Valencia is the on the calender subject to circuit approval with Singapore also tipped to become a night race should Bernie Ecclestone get his way. For sure it would be a great spectacle to see Formula 1 in the dark!

Out of the existing races, the main surprises is the Turkish Grand Prix is moved from it's late August slot to early May in between the Spanish and Monaco races to help make way for Valencia's arrival. Also it seems Bernie Eccelstone has had a change of heart and the French Grand Prix at Magny Cours looks set for a reprieve on a June 22nd slot. 

The Canadian Grand Prix will be the only trip across the pond for the F1 circus in 2008 while British fans will be happy to see Sliverstone still on the Calender in the July 6th spot.

Contrary to what has been said in the past few weeks, the season will begin in Melbourne, Australia on March 16th while the season will end on the 2nd of November in Sao Paulo in Brazil at the Interlargos circuit.

Provisional 2008 calendar:

16 March         Australia
23 March         Malaysia
6  April         Bahrain
27 April         Spain
11 May           Turkey
25 May           Monaco
8  June          Canada *
22 June          France
6  July          Great Britain
20 July          Germany
3  August        Hungary
24 August**      Europe ***
7  September     Italy
14 September     Belgium
28 September**   Singapore
12 October       China
19 October       Japan
2  November      Brazil
                
*   Provisional.
**  Subject to circuit approval.
*** The 2008 European Grand Prix will take place in Valencia.