Argentina, China to host WTCC rounds

The series has submitted its draft schedule to the World Motor Sport Council, which should give its approval on September 10.

Argentina's proposed place on the calendar has been linked to a plan for Honda to join the WTCC, through its Argentinean arm. Next season's race will be held in Buenos Aires, alongside a round of the country's TC2000 touring car series.

The first mainland Chinese round - to be held at the Guangdong International Circuit - will run alongside the Chinese Touring Car Championship's visit to the venue, an arrangement that had originally been planned for 2010 as a replacement for cancelled event in Mexico.

"These are strategic additions for us, not only because they open new and interesting markets to our manufacturers, but also because the events will be organised together with the respective national touring car championships," said WTCC promoter Marcello Lotti. "This fits prefectly our aim to establish close relationships between the FIA world championship and the national ones."

Morocco is the only circuit that has not yet been confirmed on the proposed calendar, following criticism of the operation of the Marrakech street track at this year's event.

"We wish to include Morocco in the calendar again," said Lotti. "And after the meetings held at the FIA to investigate what happened earlier this year, Morocco's National Sporting Authority has drafted a serious plan to prevent this from happening again. However, before going any further we need to receive a written confirmation from the event promoter."

The other change to the proposed calendar is the Japanese round moving from Okayama to Suzuka.