Date and venue changes on 2004 calendar?

While the schedule has been set for next years race calendar, it remains to be seen which venue will take which date for 2004. The season will start on March 7th and end on October 24th, with seventeen races proposed, and it seems unlikely Australia will move from its traditional season opening slot.

Bahrain is ahead of schedule with the construction of its circuit and could replace Brazil as the third race on the calendar, after Malaysia. The Sao Paulo event may move to the end of the season, a spot more recently taken by Japan.

Speculation has it that the American Grand Prix at Indianapolis could move from its September date to either June or July. The early summer is occupied by the Indy 500 in May and later the NASCAR Brickyard 400 in August.

With the Canadian GP usually in June, moving the Indianapolis date nearer could be a practical solution for the two North American events. However, it's also been suggested the US GP could move to the end of the season along with Brazil.

Argentina is looking at the possibility of hosting a Grand Prix in the future, the last in that country being in 1998 in Buenos Aires. "We would like to go back to Argentina," said Bernie Ecclestone. "It was a good race and we could just hop over from Brazil."

Despite looking for ways round the tobacco advertising ban, Austria and Belgium look to remain absent from the 2004 calendar. The FIA is due to announce the official schedule of dates and locations in August.