The proposed 2012 calendar was revealed on Friday on the eve of the Hungarian Grand Prix with Australia re-installed as the opening race, instead of Bahrain where this year's race was cancelled.
Bahrain has been retained, but moved to the later part of the season to run in tandem with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
The calendar also proposes the return of a United States Grand Prix, at Austin in Texas, in late November, prior to the season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix.
The calendar also confirms the Indian Grand Prix for a second year and the dropping of the Turkish race in Istanbul. It has only eight races in Europe.
New TV deal
In the shock announcement on Friday morning, Ecclestone made clear that for the first time in the modern era the sport would not be entirely available to a free-to-air broadcaster.
His plan is for coverage of all the F1 races in 2012 and beyond to be shared between the BBC and Sky, a move that will see Sky offering all the races on its subscription channels and the BBC broadcasting only half of the races.
The plan has prompted outrage among the sport's fans, who are upset at no longer being able to see F1 on free television, as has traditionally be the case.
His plan is for coverage of all the F1 races in 2012 and beyond to be shared between the BBC and Sky, a move that will see Sky offering all the races on its subscription channels and the BBC broadcasting only half of the races.
The plan has prompted outrage among the sport's fans, who are upset at no longer being able to see F1 on free television, as has traditionally be the case.
"We've got a range of safeguards within Concorde, and the right thing to do is to explore how the Formula One coverage is going to be dealt with in the future, and take a view from there."
Hamilton on top
Lewis Hamilton picked up on Friday where he left off in Germany last Sunday by delivering the fastest times for McLaren in both opening free practice sessions ahead of this weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix.
The 26-year-old Briton clocked a best lap time of one minute and 21.018 seconds, to top the speed charts and endorse the impression that he has regained top form after winning last weekend's race at the Nurburgring.