Formula 1 has unveiled a record 24-race calendar for the 2023 season, with the much-anticipated Chinese Grand Prix set to return after a three-year absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The calendar, which was approved on Tuesday by the World Motor Sport Council, will be the most extensive in F1 history with a total of 24 races across an eighth-month period. The season begins in Bahrain on March 5 and concludes in Abu Dhabi on November 26. 

An inaugural Las Vegas GP will be the penultimate round on November 18. It is one of three races to be hosted by the U.S. in the new campaign, with the other two being staged in Miami and Austin.

The Chinese GP, last raced in the 2019 season, has been slotted in for April 16, while the Qatar GP will also make a return on October 8 after a one-year hiatus because of a scheduling conflict posed by the 2022 FIFA World Cup. 

Making way for 2023 is the French GP, whose contract with F1 expires at the end of the 2022 season. The Belgian GP, however, retained its place amid rumors of its uncertain future. 

F1 President Stefano Domenicali declared that the record number of 24 races for 2023 was a reflection of the fact that "Formula 1 has unprecedented demand to host races and it is important we get the balance right for the entire sport."

"We are very pleased with the strong momentum Formula 1 continues to experience and it is great news that we will be able to bring our passionate fans a mix of exciting new locations such as Las Vegas to the Championship with much loved venues across Europe, Asia and the Americas," read a statement from Domenicali. 

"The addition of new venues and the retention of traditional events underlines the FIA's sound stewardship of the sport," FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem added. "It is further evidence of the growth and appeal of the sport on a global scale." 

2023 F1 calendar in full 

March 5: Sakhir, Bahrain 
March 19: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia 
April 2: Melbourne, Australia 
April 16: Shanghai, China 
April 30: Baku, Azerbaijan 
May 7: Miami, U.S. 
May 21: Imola, Italy 
May 28: ​​Monte Carlo, Monaco 
June 4: Barcelona, Spain 
June 18: Montreal, Canada 
July 2: Spielberg, Austria 
July 9: Silverstone, England 
July 23: Hungary, Budapest 
July 30: Spa, Belgium 
August 27: Zandvoort, Netherlands 
September 3: Monza, Italy 
September 17: Marina Bay, Singapore 
September 24: Suzuka, Japan 
October 8: Losail, Qatar 
October 22: Austin, U.S. 
October 29: Mexico City, Mexico 
November 5: Sao Paulo, Brazil 
November 18: Las Vegas, U.S. 
November 26: Yas Marina, Abu Dhabi