The provisional 2019 MotoGP calendar has been launched, revealing an unchanged line-up of 19 races which starts a week earlier on March 10.
Plans for the calendar to expand to 20 events for 2019 were in the works, with a race in Finland and Mexico touted for a spot on next year's schedule.
However, safety concerns over the Hermanos Rodriguez circuit in Mexico has prompted a delay in adding it to the MotoGP calendar, while ongoing financial issues with the KymiRing in Finland has hindered its construction.
As such, the 2019 schedule apes that of the current calendar, with the night race in Qatar once again the starting point – though this year on March 10, avoiding a clash with Formula 1's Australian Grand Prix weekend.
Argentina follows two weeks on, with a further fortnight separating it from the Americas Grand Prix in Texas, before the European season begins on May 5 at Jerez in Spain.
France, Italy, Barcelona and the Netherlands follow on at two-week intervals, while the German Grand Prix sees out the opening half of the campaign on July 7, one week after Assen.
Doubts had been raised regarding the host venue of next year's German round, with financial worries over the Sachsenring prompting rumours of promoters ADAC moving the event to the Nurburgring.
However, in recent weeks the Sachsenring's future has looked more secure, and has now been confirmed as the host venue of next year's German Grand Prix by Dorna and ADAC.
This year's much maligned two-week summer break has returned to the traditional four-week shutdown, with the Czech Grand Prix opening up the second half of the year on August 4, followed a week later with the Austrian round.
The British Grand Prix will remain at Silverstone on August 25, with Misano and Aragon split a week apart before the Pacific flyaways kick off in Thailand on October 6.
The triple-header of Japan, Australia and Malaysia remain, beginning October 20, with the curtain coming down on the year in Valencia on November 17.
Pre-season testing has been reduced from three to two events next year, both taking place in February at Sepang from 6-8 and Qatar from 23-25
