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09:26 GMT, Friday, 10 October 2008 10:26 UK

US & Canada snub angers F1 teams

Robert Kubica takes the hairpin turn en route to winning the Canadian Grand Prix

Honda team principal Nick Fry has hit out at the decision to drop Canada from the 2009 Formula One calendar.

F1 will have no race in North America after motorsport's governing body the FIA included Abu Dhabi at the expense of Montreal.

"We are hugely disappointed," said Fry. "It will be a major topic at the next meeting of teams."

Toyota president John Howlett said: "Hopefully in the next four years we can establish a real race in the US."

And BMW team principal Mario Thiessen advocated having a "Canadian race and at least one US one".

The dropping of the United States from the 2008 F1 calendar left Canada vulnerable because the costs of transport to North America are steep for a single race.

That was not considered to be an issue when Canada was the sole North American race through much of the 1990s but it is more of a concern at the moment.

To overcome that, Fry suggested holding two races in the US and one in Canada.

606: DEBATE
"I am really annoyed about this decision I don't see why we fans should have to suffer time and time again for Bernie to make more money by moving to pastures new"
jonners99

"Really we need to look at how we not only get back Canada, but back to America - potentially more than once, because it's such an important market," he said.

The loss of Canada means the F1 calendar will stay at 18 races rather than the record-breaking 19 that had been expected for 2009.

The continent is a vital market place for the road-car manufacturers who are involved with many of them.


2009 Formula One calendar

29 March - Australia (Melbourne)

5 April - Malaysia (Sepang)

19 April - Bahrain

10 May - Spain (Barcelona)

24 May - Monaco

7 June - Turkey (Istanbul)

21 June - Britain (Silverstone)

28 June - France (Magny-Cours)

12 July - Germany (Nurburgring)

26 July - Hungary (Budapest)

23 August - Europe (Valencia)

30 August - Belgium (Spa-Francorchamps)

13 September - Italy (Monza)

27 September - Singapore

11 October - Japan (Suzuka)

18 October - China

1 November - Brazil (Interlagos)

15 November - Abu Dhabi




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Related to this story:

Canada dropped from F1 calendar (08 Oct 08 |  Formula One )
Abu Dhabi to stage 2009 F1 finale (25 Jun 08 |  Formula One )
Magny-Cours to stay on calendar (22 Jun 08 |  Formula One )
Kubica wins after Hamilton error (08 Jun 08 |  Formula One )
F1 bosses support expansion plan (02 Apr 08 |  Formula One )
Australia F1 night race ruled out (17 Mar 08 |  Formula One )

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