Formula 1 2011 circuits and calendar
BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX
Venue: Sakhir, Manama
Date: Sunday 13 March
Lap length: 3.363 miles
Race laps: 57
2010 winner: Fernando Alonso
First grand prix: 2004
Fascinating fact: In deference to the Bahrain's Islamic rulers, race organisers ban the traditional spraying of champagne on the podium, instead providing drivers with a local non-alcoholic beverage known as warrd - a blend of pomegranate, bitter orange and rosewater.
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AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX
Venue: Albert Park, Melbourne
Date: Sunday 27 March
Lap length: 3.295 miles
Race laps: 58
2010 winner: Jenson Button (McLaren)
First grand prix: 1996
Fascinating fact: The race returned to Melbourne in 1996 when Martin Brundle was involved in a terrifying crash on the first lap, which split his Jordan car in two. Amazingly, the British driver was able to run back to the pits to collect the spare car for the restart - only to spin off at the same corner on the first lap.
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MALAYSIAN GRAND PRIX
Venue: Sepang, Kuala Lumpur
Date: Sunday 10 April
Lap length: 3.444 miles
Race laps: 56
2010 winner: Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)
First grand prix: 1999
Fascinating fact: Kuala Lumpur literally means "muddy estuary". The city's grand prix track was built on a 260-hectare swamp, a factor some have blamed for the increasing number of bumps on the track. Some people claim the circuit may be literally sinking.
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CHINESE GRAND PRIX
Venue: Shanghai International Circuit
Date: Sunday 17 April, 0800 BST
Lap length: 3.387 miles
Race laps: 56
2010 winner: Jenson Button (McLaren)
First grand prix: 2004
Fascinating fact: The Chinese Grand Prix joined the F1 calendar in 2004 and has been won by a different driver each year since.
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SPANISH GRAND PRIX
Venue: Circuit de Catalunya, Montmelo
Date: Sunday 22 May
Lap length: 2.892 miles
Race laps: 66
2010 winner: Mark Webber (Red Bull)
First grand prix: 1991
Fascinating fact: The pole-sitter has gone on to win the Spanish Grand Prix for the last 11 years. The first car on the grid has only failed to top the podium four times in 17 races.
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MONACO GRAND PRIX
Venue: Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo
Date: Sunday 29 May
Lap length: 2.075 miles
Race laps: 75
2010 winner: Mark Webber (Red Bull)
First grand prix: 1929
Fascinating fact: Ayrton Senna took over from Graham Hill as King of Monaco when he recorded a record sixth win in 1993. Describing the circuit, the Brazilian said: "Sometimes it takes so much concentration, so much energy, that you see nothing else except the narrow road, the barriers, the walls and the wheels."
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TURKISH GRAND PRIX
Venue: Istanbul Park
Date: Sunday 8 May
Lap length: 3.317 miles
Race laps: 58
2010 winner: Lewis Hamilton (McLaren)
First grand prix: 2005
Fascinating fact: During a GP2 race in 2008, Ayrton Senna's nephew Bruno, who made his F1 debut for the new Hispania team in 2010, ran into a stray dog. The collision ripped off the front wing and right front suspension of Senna's car and killed the dog.
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CANADIAN GRAND PRIX
Venue: Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal
Date: Sunday 12 June
Lap length: 2.71 miles
Race laps: 70
2010 winner: Lewis Hamilton (McLaren)
First grand prix: 1978
Fascinating fact: The race track runs around the Ile Notre Dame in the St Lawrence Seaway, and passes a series of buildings built for Expo '67 in the city. The rowing lake used in the 1976 Olympics backs on to the paddock, and F1 personnel have to walk across a pontoon bridge to get to the track from the car park.
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EUROPEAN GRAND PRIX
Venue: Valencia, Spain
Date: Sunday 26 June
Lap length: 3.367 miles
Race laps: 57
2010 winner: Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)
First grand prix: 2008
Fascinating fact: Paella originated in the province of Valencia. After leaving Renault for McLaren in 2007, Spanish star Fernando Alonso admitted driving for the team had become like "eating the same plate of paella every night". He was ready for another helping in 2008 after an ill-fated season with McLaren, but is clearly up for a bit of pasta now he has moved to Ferrari for 2010.
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BRITISH GRAND PRIX
Venue: Silverstone, Northamptonshire
Date: Sunday 11 July
Lap length: 3.660 miles
Race laps: 52
2010 winner: Mark Webber (Red Bull)
First grand prix: 1948
Fascinating fact: Keke Rosberg, father of current Mercedes Grand Prix driver Nico, drove his Williams at an average of 160.938mph to claim pole in 1985, making Silverstone the world's fastest circuit at the time. It later emerged he had a slow puncture.
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GERMAN GRAND PRIX
Venue: Nurburgring
Date: Sunday 24 July
Lap length: 3.198 miles
Race laps: 60
2010 winner: Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) - at Hockenheim
First grand prix: 1977
Fascinating fact: The Nurburgring was the scene of one of F1's most frighteningly famous accidents in 1976 when Ferrari driver Niki Lauda was badly burned in an accident. It signalled the end for the famous circuit in its current form but Lauda, who had fought for his life, was remarkably back at the wheel just six weeks after his crash.
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HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX
Venue: Hungaroring, Budapest
Date: Sunday 31 July
Lap length: 2.722 miles
Race laps: 70
2010 winner: Mark Webber (Red Bull)
First grand prix: 1986
Fascinating fact: Damon Hill produced one of the most famous near-wins in F1 history in 1997, passing Michael Schumacher and Jacques Villeneuve to take the lead in his unfancied Arrows. But he suffered a mechanical failure after the last round of pit stops and had to settle for second.
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BELGIAN GRAND PRIX
Venue: Spa-Francorchamps
Date: Sunday 28 August
Lap length: 4.352 miles
Race laps: 44
2010 winner: Lewis Hamilton (McLaren)
First grand prix: 1924
Fascinating fact: In 1998, an incredible 13 cars were involved in a first-lap pile-up as the race began in torrential rain. Only eight finished, Damon Hill taking advantage of the carnage to hand Jordan their first race win.
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ITALIAN GRAND PRIX
Venue: Monza
Date: Sunday 11 September
Lap length: 3.510 miles
Race laps: 53
2010 winner: Fernando Alonso (Ferrari)
First grand prix: 1922
Fascinating fact: Nicknamed the Pista Magica in Italy, Monza is the quickest circuit in F1, with cars reaching a top speed of 215 mph on the long pit straight.
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SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX
Venue: Marina Bay
Date: Sunday 25 September
Lap length: 3.148 miles
Race laps: 61
2010 winner: Fernando Alonso (Ferrari)
First grand prix: 2008
Fascinating fact: The circuit takes in the iconic Raffles Hotel, where the gin-based cocktail the Singapore Sling was invented at the start of the 20th century. It will set you back more than ?10 (as of February 2009) to sip one at the Raffles.
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JAPANESE GRAND PRIX
Venue: Suzuka
Date: Sunday 9 October
Lap length: 3.608 miles
Race laps: 53
2010 winner: Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)
First grand prix: 1987
Fascinating fact: Suzuka is the only F1 race track that follows a figure-of-eight format, where the circuit passes over itself - it is also sited in a theme park.
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SOUTH KOREA GRAND PRIX
Venue: Yeongam
Date: Sunday 16 October
Lap length: 3.39 miles
Race laps: 55
2010 winner: Fernando Alonso (Ferrari)
First grand prix: 2010
Fascinating fact: Located in Yeongam, 400km south of the capital Seoul, the organisers of the race admitted that finding hotel accommodation for the visitors to the race will be their biggest headache in its debut year. They were proved right when many of the F1 fraternity stayed in so-called "love hotels' in 2010.
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INDIAN GRAND PRIX
Venue: New Delhi
Date: Sunday 30 October
Lap length: 3.31 miles
Race laps: 61
2010 winner: N/A
First grand prix: 2011
Fascinating fact: Narain Karthikeyan ignited a passion for Formula 1 in India when he became the first Indian driver to make it into F1 with Jordan in 2005.
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BRAZILIAN GRAND PRIX
Venue: Interlagos, Sao Paulo
Date: Sunday 27 November
Lap length: 2.677 miles
Race laps: 71
2010 winner: Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)
First grand prix: 1972
Fascinating fact: The circuit's official name is Autodromo Carlos Pace. The appropriately monikered Brazilian claimed his only Grand Prix win at Interlagos in 1972, which also marked Graham Hill's last race. Both men died in air accidents, Hill in 1975 and Pace two years later.
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ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX
Venue: Yas Marina
Date: Sunday 13 November
Lap length: 3.451 miles
Race laps: 55
2010 winner: Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)
First grand prix: 2009
Fascinating fact: The Yas Marina track cost a staggering ?800m and is part of a massive development aimed at bringing tourism to the United Arab Emirates. Among the attractions will be Ferrari World, which opened in 2010 as the world's largest indoor theme park with the world's fastest rollercoaster. The marina by the track has space for more than 150 yachts and can even accommodate six 200ft-long monsters - that's the length of more than six double-decker buses.