Formula One: The Canadian Grand Prix has been dropped from next year's schedule after details of the 2009 calendar were released today by the FIA, the sport's governing body.
No reason was given by the International Automobile Federation (FIA) but the race at Montreal's Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, a favourite with teams and sponsors, had previously been paired with the US Grand Prix in Indianapolis that was axed this year.
The 18-race calendar, issued after a meeting of the FIA's World Motor Sport Council in Paris, reinserted a three-week summer break for teams by moving the Turkish Grand Prix from August to fill Canada's slot on June 7th.
Instead of a planned record-equalling 19 rounds, the championship will continue with 18.
The Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps moved forward from September to August 30th, the weekend after the European Grand Prix in Valencia.
The Italian Grand Prix retreated a week to take Belgium's original September 13th date.
All other dates remained the same as on the provisional calendar released in June, with Australia kicking off the season on March 29th and Abu Dhabi making its debut as the championship finale on November 15th.
The FIA also announced that its president Max Mosley had been given the authority to negotiate with the Formula One Teams Association (FOTA) for the introduction of "radical measures to achieve a substantial reduction of costs in the championship from 2010".
It said that failing agreement with the FOTA, the FIA would enforce necessary measures to achieve that goal.
The World Motor Sport Council also agreed to allow Formula One teams to equalise engine performance across the field for 2009, pending the introduction of cost-saving measures from 2010.
Marco Piccinini, the FIA deputy president for sport who represented the body at this year's Monaco Grand Prix after Mosley was caught in a sex scandal, will stand down a year ahead of time.
The FIA said a successor would be elected.
Mosley, who won a vote of confidence in April to stay in office, has said he will stand down in October next year when his term expires.
However he said last month that he was under heavy pressure from members to stay on.
2009 Formula One Calendar:
March 29 - Australia
April 5 - Malaysia
April 19 - Bahrain
May 10 - Spain
May 24 - Monaco
June 7 - Turkey
June 21 - Great Britain
June 28 - France
July 12 - Germany
July 26 - Hungary
August 23 - Europe (Valencia)
August 30 - Belgium
September 13 - Italy
September 27 - Singapore
October 11 - Japan
October 18 - China
November 1 - Brazil
November 15 - Abu Dhabi