Silverstone dropped from Formula 3 European Championship calendar

The series has featured as a support event to Silverstone's World Endurance Championship round from 2013-15, opening the past two campaigns.

Autosport sources hint that the cost of the slot is behind the reason to drop it.

Euro F3 also raced on the Brands Hatch Indy Circuit supporting the DTM up to and including 2013, after which the fixture was dropped.

Wednesday's FIA World Motor Sport Council released a calendar that has fallen from 11 rounds to 10, with five supporting the DTM: Hockenheim has dropped from two rounds to one, with other DTM supports at the Red Bull Ring, Norisring, Zandvoort and the Nurburgring.

The season opens with a new event at Paul Ricard, where F3 joins the World Touring Car Championship, before moving on to the Hungaroring, where again F3 links up with WTCC and also Formula 3.5 V8, and then onto the popular Pau Grand Prix street race.

Spa remains on the calendar, although for the first time Euro F3 will fill a bespoke support slot at the circuit's 24 Hours GT race formerly occupied by British F3 (although it piggybacked British F3's 2012 round).

Finally, Imola returns for the first time since 2014, replacing Monza as Italy's round and partnering the European Touring Car Cup and French GT Championship.

The World Council also announced the Single Seater Commission's intention to revive a regional tier of Formula 3, as well as confirming that the current generation of F3 car will have its life extended to the end of 2019, with 'a safety update kit' introduced in 2017 or 2018'.

2016 FORMULA 3 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP CALENDAR
April 2-3 Paul Ricard
 (WTCC)
April 23-24 Hungaroring (WTCC, F3.5 V8)

May 14-15 Pau

May 21-22 Red Bull Ring
 (DTM)
June 25-26 Norisring
 (DTM)
July 16-17 Zandvoort (DTM

July 29-30 Spa
 (Spa 24 Hours)
September 10-11 Nurburgring (DTM)

October 1-2 Imola
 (ETCC, French GT)
October 15-16 Hockenheim (DTM)