Changes made to 2009 F1 calendar

Last year's Chinese Grand Prix was won by Britain's Lewis Hamilton

The Chinese Grand Prix will be the third race of the 2009 season after the World Motor Sport Council made several amendments to the Formula One calendar.

The Shanghai race has traditionally been held towards the end of the season but will be staged in April next year.

Brazil is now the penultimate race, on 18 October, and the Bahrain Grand Prix has gone back a week to 26 April but there is no Canadian race scheduled.

The championship ends with the first Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on 1 November.

And in order to boost television coverage in Europe, the council has also moved the start of the first two races, in Australia and Malaysia, to 1700 local time.

Despite recent talks between F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone and the Canadian government with regard to reinstating the Montreal race, it remains absent from next year's calendar.

606: DEBATE Give your thoughts on the changes

However, it is understood Ecclestone is to a hold a further meeting to discuss the financial issues that led to Canada's omission.

The French Grand Prix has also been removed from the calendar because of a lack of funding.

With a four-week summer break after the race in Hungary on 26 July, there is scope for a further amendment, but for now the calendar incorporates 17 races.

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2009 FIA Formula One world championship calendar:

29 Mar - Australia (Melbourne)

5 Apr - Malaysia (Sepang)

19 Apr - China (Shanghai)

26 Apr - Bahrain (Sakhir)

10 May - Spain (Barcelona)

24 May - Monaco

7 June - Turkey (Istanbul)

21 June - Great Britain (Silverstone)

12 July - Germany (Nurburgring)

26 July - Hungary (Hungaroring)

23 August Europe (Valencia)

30 August - Belgium (Spa-Francorchamps)

13 September - Italy (Monza)

27 September - Singapore

4 October - Japan (Suzuka)

18 October - Brazil (Interlagos)

1 November - Abu Dhabi

The races in Australia and Malaysia will start at 1700 local time, in Singapore at 2000 local time, and in Japan at 1500 local time.