LONDON — Bahrain's Formula One Grand Prix retained its place on a 2013 calendar published Friday but New Jersey's inaugural race was in doubt. The governing International Automobile Federation (FIA) said Bahrain would be the fourth round of the 20-race championship on April 21. Bahrain has hosted several motorsport events since the Grand Prix went to the top of the news agenda last April, with a round of the FIA world endurance championship being held at the Sakhir circuit this weekend. The 2011 Bahrain Grand Prix was postponed and then canceled because of unrest in the kingdom. New Jersey has been penciled in for June 16 next year, subject to confirmation. Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone had raised doubts about New Jersey, a race with the New York city skyline as a backdrop, when he said this week that organizers had not complied with the terms and conditions of the contract that had now lapsed. Promoters for the race issued a statement Friday welcoming the date and without mentioning any problems. Spain will have only one race instead of two, with a Grand Prix in Barcelona on May 12. Valencia, which had hosted the European Grand Prix in the port area, has agreed to alternate. The season will start in Australia on March 17 and end in Brazil on Nov. 24. Six pairs of races, all long-haul destinations from Europe, will be on back-to-back weekends. Calendar: March 17 – Australia; March 24 – Malaysia; April 14 – China; April 21 – Bahrain; May 12 – Spain; May 26 – Monaco; June 9 – Canada; June 16 – New Jersey (to be confirmed); June 30 – Britain; July 14 – Germany (circuit to be confirmed); July 28 – Hungary; Aug. 25 – Belgium; Sept. 08 – Italy; Sept. 22 – Singapore; Oct. 6 – South Korea; Oct. 13 – Japan; Oct. 27 – India; Nov. 3 – Abu Dhabi; Nov. 17 – USA; Nov. 24 – Brazil. — Reuters
