Hockenheim has been added to the British F3 International Series schedule for the 2009 season after series promoters SRO revealed the provisional calendar for next year.

Despite speculation that the Bahrain International Circuit could feature on the calendar, Hockenheim is the only overseas addition to the calendar, joining the races at Monza, Spa and Bucharest.

The Monza event is still to be officially confirmed, while Spa will fill one of two dates; either alongside the famed Spa 24 Hours or a week later when the British GT series makes the trip to Belgium.

While the 2008 season was contested over 22 rounds, the 2009 title battle will be decided over 20 rounds, with two British circuits having lost their place on the calendar – with neither Croft or Thruxton featuring.

As has become the norm, the season will open at Oulton Park before the trip to Donington Park and the first overseas round at Monza. A return to UK shores for the Snetterton round at the end of May will be followed by Hockenheim and Rockingham before the Spa event in its still to be confirmed slot.

Silverstone and Bucharest follow in August, before the season draws to a close at Brands Hatch. All British rounds of the series will run alongside the British GT Championship.

"We considered the preferences of the teams and where they wanted to race in 2009," SRO chairman Stephane Ratel said. "The British F3 teams wanted to race on more current F1 circuits and so we have added Hockenheim to the provisional calendar to complement the events at Spa and Monza. Bucharest was a great success in 2007 and 2008 and we are pleased to be going back in '09. The UK circuits we will be visiting are the best in the country and each offer a different challenge to the teams and drivers.

"We have a few items to conclude before this calendar can be finalised but this schedule offers our teams and drivers the opportunity to race on some of the best circuits in the world."

2009 Cooper Tires British F3 International Series calendar:

11/13 April Oulton Park
25/April Donington Park
16/17 May Monza (TBC)
30/31 May Snetterton
6/7 June Hockenheim
4/5 July Rockingham
24/25 July Spa (TBC)
1/2 August Spa (TBC)
15/16 August Silverstone
29/30 August Bucharest
19/20 September Brands Hatch