Mexico on 21-race draft 2014 calendar

Formula 1 is set for a 21-race calendar next year, including the return of Mexico but no New Jersey race, AUTOSPORT reports.

A first draft of the 2014 provisional calendar has been distributed to teams ahead of this weekend's Italian Grand Prix. Although the 2014 schedule needs to be approved at a meeting of the FIA's World Motor Sport Council that takes place in Croatia on Sept. 26-28, teams are bracing themselves for F1's longest ever season.

An early version of the schedule does not include the proposed event in New Jersey that F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone had hoped to include, although Grandf Prix America spokespersons have maintained that preparations for a 2014 remain on schedule. The draft calendar does feature events in Russia and Mexico, providing the circuits are ready in time.

As has been widely expected, the season will start in Australia on March 16 for the traditional double-header with Malaysia. The Korean Grand Prix has been moved from the end of the season to become the fourth race of the campaign, taking place in the week after the Chinese GP. However, the event is likely to only be made official subject to the completion of a contract with Formula One Management.

The returning Austrian GP is penciled in for June 22, earlier than the July 6 date that it was originally scheduled for. The new Russian GP at Sochi will become a back-to-back with Abu Dhabi, while the Mexican GP is being twinned with the USA GP at Austin.

The Spanish GP is set to take place at Barcelona, with Valencia not making it back on to the schedule, while the German GP will return to Hockenheim.

DRAFT 2014 CALENDAR