Silverstone loses mid-season Formula 1 test to Hungaroring

It has now been confirmed by the FIA that there will be three group tests this year beyond the pre-season running.

The first in-season test will take place on the Tuesday and Wednesday after the Bahrain Grand Prix (April 18/19), while the second test has been shifted from Britain to Hungary and takes place on August 1/2.

Bar a break in 2015, Silverstone has hosted a mid-year F1 test every year since in-season running was reinstated - initially for young drivers only - in '12.

Teams are free to work on what they want during the Bahrain and Hungary tests, but do have to run young drivers who have competed in fewer than three GPs on two of the four days.

Although Silverstone will not host an official in-season group test, it is understood to be one of the options for private Pirelli testing with one or more teams after the British Grand Prix.

The FIA has also approved plans for a two-day post season test to take place in Abu Dhabi on November 28/29 after the season finale.

The final Abu Dhabi test has been laid down for "the sole purpose of providing all competitors with the chance to test the tyre specifications to be used the following season".

The timing of this test will allow Pirelli to try compounds ahead of an extended deadline to finalise its 2018 tyre specifications.

New regulations published on Monday confirmed that Pirelli would now be given until December 1 to firm up its 2018 compounds, with the construction having to have been sorted by September 1.

As part of efforts to help Pirelli develop of its products, an expanded test programme was put in place last season that involved an extra 25 car days of in-season testing involving three teams.

That 25-day allowance will remain for 2017, with at least eight of the current teams having confirmed that they will take part.

F1 2017 GROUP TEST PLANS

February 27-March 2: Barcelona
March 7-10: Barcelona
April 18-19: Sakhir
August 1-2: Hungaroring
November 28-29: Yas Marina