F1 In Flaming June

The Williams Cosworth FW33 Formula One race car that visited Austin during SXSW: Expect a lot more of these, and moving a lot faster, across the weekend of June 17, 2012 (Photo by Richard Whittaker)

After months of speculation, the date for the first Formula One Grand Prix in Austin has been set. The Circuit of the Americas will host its inaugural race on June 17, 2012.

The World Motor Sport Council unveiled the provisional 2012 FIA Formula One World Championship calendar at their meeting this afternoon in Valencia, Spain. This, as many predicted, puts the Austin race straight after Canada, and should lead to a massive local increase in sun screen sales.

The Formula One United States team has yet to issue an official statement, but they have been working towards a June 2012 date all along, so this should fit in with their plans.

Internationally, much attention has been paid to the controversial decision to keep Bahrain on the calendar. The nation's shoddy human rights track record and recent civil protests lead to the 2011 race (scheduled for October) being canceled: In a statement, the council said that its member feel "that reinstating the Grand Prix is a means of helping to unite people as the country looks to move forward."

Here is the full schedule:

March 11 Bahrain
March 18 Australia
April 1 Malaysia
April 8 China
April 22 Korea
May 6 Turkey *
May 20 Spain
May 27 Monaco
June 10 Canada
June 17 United States
July 1 Valencia, Spain
July 15 Great Britain
July 29 Germany
August 5 Hungary
September 2 Belgium
September 9 Italy
September 30 Singapore
October 14 Japan
October 28 India
November 11 Abu Dhabi
November 25 Brazil

(* Subject to confirmation)