Canadian race dropped from F1 programme

The Canadian Grand Prix has been dropped from the Formula One calendar for the 2009 season.

The World Motor Sport Council met in Paris today and decided to go ahead with a programme with no races in North America.

The addition of an Abu Dhabi grand prix to the calendar means the season remains 18 races long.

Next year's calendar also allows for a summer break as the Turkish GP has moved from August to June.

The British GP is scheduled for Silverstone on June 21 and it is set to be the last time the Northamptonshire circuit hosts the event.

Plans have already been unveiled for Donington Park to stage the race from 2010 onwards, providing necessary work is done at the Leicestershire circuit to bring it up to standard.

The WMSC also agreed to give FIA president Max Mosley the authority to deal with the Formula One Teams Association (FOTA) over the implementation of "radical measures to achieve a substantial reduction of costs in the championship from 2010".

The FIA said in a statement: "Failing agreement with FOTA, the FIA will enforce the necessary measures to achieve this goal.

"It was further unanimously agreed to allow Formula One teams to equalise engine performance across the field for 2009, pending the introduction of cost-saving measures from 2010."

The 2009 F1 calendar: Australia, March 29; Malaysia, April 5; Bahrain, April 9; Spain, May 10; Monaco, May 24; Turkey, June 7; Great Britain, June 21; France, June 28; Germany, July 12; Hungary, July 26; Europe (Valencia), August 23; Belgium, August 30; Italy, September 13; Singapore, September 27; Japan, October 11; China, October 18; Brazil, November 1; Abu Dhabi, November 15.