Next year's season-opening Australian Formula One Grand Prix in Melbourne has been brought forward to March 20, to allow space for an August break, after previously being listed for a later than usual start on April 3.
Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, Vettel's closest title rival with a 46 point gap to make up, qualified fifth and behind Brazilian team mate Felipe Massa.
Sebastian Vettel looked forward to following in Michael Schumacher's Formula One footsteps after Ferrari confirmed on Thursday that the four times world champion would replace Fernando Alonso next season on a three-year deal.
India has been dropped as previously announced, with hopes for a comeback in 2015, while Austria is due to make a return after an 11-year break with a race at Spielberg on June 22.
Three rookies are set to make their race debuts and Azarbaijan will make it's Formula One debut even as Sebastian Vettel, Nico Rosberg pose to challenge odds on favourite Lewis Hamilton.
Formula One's 2016 tyre rules, giving more choice on the selection of compounds and strategy, have left even some drivers confused.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Thursday
Formula One is to award double points for the last race of the season in a controversial attempt to keep championships undecided to the very end after four years of Red Bull domination.
Germany's Nico Rosberg can win his first Formula One title in Abu Dhabi on Sunday while Lewis Hamilton remains in contention to become Britain's first four times world champion.
Finland's Valtteri Bottas and Brazilian Felipe Massa will stay at Williams in 2015 after the resurgent Formula One team announced on Sunday what had to be one of their easiest decisions of the season.
We know that the new Thruxton R looks so beautiful that anyone can fall in love with it but its capabilities are best discovered on the roads
Even in adversity, with Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton romping to five wins in a row and a 24-point lead in the Formula One championship, Nico Rosberg can see the funny side of the situation.
With mind and body both more willing now, the only way for the World No 3 is up, says Dhruv Munjal.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Friday
Kimi Raikkonen has plenty of supporters among the passionate Ferrari 'tifosi' as the team's first champion of the post-Schumacher era, and last to date, and his return would a break with Ferrari tradition as much as a blast from the past.
