Everything you need to know about the 2018 F1 season

Here is every date you need for your diary ahead of the upcoming F1 season. This article will be updated in the weeks leading up to the opening winter test.

Confirmed car launches

February 15 - Williams
February 19 - Red Bull
February 20 - Sauber
February 20 - Renault
February 22 - Ferrari
February 22 - Mercedes
February 23 -  McLaren
February 26 - Toro Rosso

Winter testing

First test: February 26-March 1 - Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
Second test: March 6-9 - Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain

2018 line-ups

Mercedes
Lewis Hamilton, Valtteri Bottas

Ferrari
Sebastian Vettel, Kimi Raikkonen

Red Bull
Daniel Ricciardo, Max Verstappen

Force India
Sergio Perez, Esteban Ocon

Williams
Lance Stroll, Sergey Sirotkin

Renault
Nico Hulkenberg, Carlos Sainz

Toro Rosso
Pierre Gasly, Brendon Hartley

Haas
Romain Grosjean, Kevin Magnussen

McLaren
Fernando Alonso, Stoffel Vandoorne

Sauber
Marcus Ericsson, Charles Leclerc

2018 calendar

Despite the Malaysian Grand Prix dropping off the calendar, the 2018 F1 calendar will boast 21 races thanks to the return of grands prix in France and Germany.

This year's French Grand Prix will be the first since 2008, and see the return of the Circuit Paul Ricard, which last hosted the French Grand Prix in 1990. The German Grand Prix also returns to the championship after a one-year absence, creating F1's first-ever triple header in June.

Other changes will see the Azerbaijan Grand Prix brought forward to April, with the Russian Grand Prix moving from April to the end of September.

That leaves the calendar for the new season as follows:

• March 25, Melbourne, Australia

• April 8, Sakhir, Bahrain

• April 15, Shanghai, China

• April 29, Baku, Azerbaijan

• May 13, Barcelona, Spain

• May 27, Monte Carlo, Monaco

• June 10, Montreal, Canada

• June 24, Le Castellet, France

• July 1, Spielberg, Austria

• July 8, Silverstone, Great Britain

• July 22, Hockenheim, Germany

• July 29, Budapest, Hungary

• August 26, Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium

• September 2, Monza, Italy

• September 16, Marina Bay, Singapore

• September 30, Sochi, Russia

• October 7, Suzuka, Japan

• October 21, Austin, USA

• October 28, Mexico City, Mexico

• November 11, Sao Paulo, Brazil

• November 25, Yas Marina, UAE

In-season tests

Two two-day in-season tests are permitted under the regulations and are the only occasions the 2018 cars are allowed to run on circuits outside of race weekends. The conditions of the tests mean they have to take place after a race weekend and at least two of the four days must be completed by a driver with less than two grands prix of experience.

This year, the tests are taking place on the following dates:

• May 15-16, Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain

• July 31-August 1, Hungaroring, Budapest, Hungary

The only other circumstance in which a 2018 car will be allowed to test is if a team decided to change driver midway through the season and the incoming driver has less than two grands prix of experience.