Canada dropped from 2009 F1 schedule

PARIS, Oct. 7 (UPI) -- Formula One racing officials revised their 2009 schedule dropping the Canadian Grand Prix, meaning there will be no North American F1 race next year.

The original 2009 schedule released by the International Automobile Federation in June had the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal scheduled for June 7. But an announcement Tuesday from the FIA put the Turkish Grand Prix in that slot "while the Canadian race has been dropped."

No reason was given for the change but the new schedule allows for a break between the July 26 race in Hungary and the Aug. 23 contest in Spain.

The only other change in the new schedule has the Belgian Grand Prix being run Aug. 30 and the Italian Grand Prix on Sept. 13, which was a reverse of the original schedule.

The 2007 FIA schedule left off the U.S. Grand Prix and now, with the Canadian race being dropped, there will be no Grand Prix race in North America in 2009.

The Canadian Grand Prix was first run in 1961 and was contested each year other than 1975 and 1987. Robert Kubica won the 2008 race.

The 18-race 2009 Formula One season is to begin with a March 29 race in Australia and conclude with a Nov. 15 race in Abu Dhabi.