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The 2016 RPM-run 'Formula Renault 3.5 Series' will retain six of this year's nine venues, according to a provisional calendar that emerged at this weekend's Jerez season finale.

Three tracks from 2015 are set to be discontinued: Monaco, the Nurburgring and Le Mans Bugatti.

Paul Ricard will reclaim the series' French round from Le Mans, while Monaco was announced as the showpiece event on the Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup calendar earlier this year.

The championship will otherwise feature a high level of continuity from 2015, as it swaps the World Series by Renault package for a tie-up with GT Open and guest appearances on other bills.

The series will maintain a nine-round season, once again starting at Aragon, alongside the existing Renault RS01 Trophy support package, and finishing at Jerez.

FR3.5 will visit six Formula 1 venues, including Monza, which returns for the first time since 2014, and Barcelona, which is back after a two-year interval.

PROVISIONAL CALENDAR:

(Events' other headline races in brackets)

April 16-17 Aragon, Spain (RS01/FRenault Eurocup)

April 23-24 Hungaroring, Hungary* (World Touring Car Championship)

May 21-22 Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium (GT Open)

June 25-26 Paul Ricard, France* (Blancpain Endurance)

July 23-24 Silverstone, Great Britain (GT Open)

September 10-11 Red Bull Ring, Austria* (GT Open)

October 1-2 Monza, Italy (GT Open)

October 29-30 Barcelona, Spain (GT Open)

November 5-6 Jerez, Spain (EuroFormula Open)

* Still to be confirmed

FR3.5 teams will remain at Jerez next week for the championship's first post-season test.

Norfolk team Comtec will be present, fielding this year's FR3.5 champion Oliver Rowland's protege Jehan Daruvala.

Comtec carried Alx Danielsson to the 2006 drivers' title, but has made just one appearance this year after a deal to run Will Buller fell through owing to difficulties securing a second driver.

Two new teams are understood to be close to joining the championship, in addition to Amato Ferrari's incoming Spirit of Race team, which will test with multiple 2015 race winner Matthieu Vaxiviere.

The Lotus F1 protege has ruled out staying in the series but will drive at the test to assist Ferrari's new squad.

A high level of driver interest in the Jerez test has been reported by teams.