Canada dropped and the engine freeze thaws

[Steven Roy]

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/71205

Canadian GP dropped from 2009 calendar

By Pablo Elizalde Tuesday, October 7th 2008, 12:38 GMT


The Canadian Grand Prix has been dropped from the 2009 Formula One calendar, leaving North America with no grands prix next season.

The FIA issued on Tuesday the World Motor Sport Council's decision, with the Montreal race absent for the first time since 1987.

The governing body confirmed an 18-race calendar, including a summer break thanks to having moved the Turkish Grand Prix from August to June.

The WMSC also agreed to give FIA president Max Mosley the authority to deal 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."

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

"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," it added.

2009 F1 calendar:

Australia            29 March
Malaysia             5 April
Bahrain              19 April
Spain                10 May
Monaco               24 May
Turkey               7 June
Great Britain        21 June
France               28 June
Germany              12 July
Hungary              26 July
Europe (Valencia)    23 August
Belgium              30 August
Italy                13 September
Singapore            27 September
Japan                11 October
China                18 October
Brazil               1 November
Abu Dhabi            15 November

[cosworth151]

I guess The Evil Troll and Bondage Boy don't need any of us here in North America. I've heard rumors of this for the past year. Montreal had been splitting the cost of bringing the teams over here with Indy. Last year, they had to pay it all.

[Ian]

Darn it, another good one goes, for heavens sake those two have got to go

[Scott]

No explanation, nothing?  Did they miss a payment?  I thought the CDN GP was good to go since there are no organizational complaints, no facility issues, they pony up the dough and like it was already mentioned, they even covered the transportation deficit since the USGP was canceled (through no fault of theirs).  Maye they refused to run it at 6 o'clock in the morning so Bernie could have it running at the same time as the others. 

Pathetic.  How to p*ss off a nation.  Watch out you Brits...I think you're next on the chopping block.

[Steven Roy]

I have read a few stories since that say that the Montreal organisers were not informed about the decision and found out in the press.  F1 obviously being run as professionally as ever.

[Scott]

http://en.f1-live.com/f1/en/headlines/news/detail/081007173403.shtml

At the end it says that Legault announced in 2006 that he had an agreement through 2011 to host the Canadian GP. 

How much worse could they have handled this?  Max and Bernie - pathetic.

[Ian]

Scotty, he's been after us Brits for ages. 

[Dare]

Might as well get rid of Brasil too,it
would leave room for a GP in
Bumf**K  Egypt

[Ian]

Then Mongolia, Mali and Botswana

[Willy]

If I recall correctly, the track was in bad shape and breaking up during the race and quali last year. Bet that was used as ammunition by the "Grand Pobah Bernie" and his
"Maxi Troll" to leverage the Canadian GP off the schedule.

And now, instead of a great track at the Circuit de Gilles Villeneuve, we get to watch that piece of crap race, known as the European GP at Valencia as they have ponied up with a new yacht for Bernie to lend out to Max for his bondage parties.

What crap track with deep pockets can Herman Tilke dream up next so we can drop another historic venue from the schedule.

Damn, I need to find another form of auto racing to watch regularly as F1 is starting to really p*ss me off!!!!

[Dare]

IndyCar is looking better all the time

[lkjohnson1950]

Crap Track? How about Abu Dhabi, India and Russia for openers? All have been promised a spot on the schedule. So who's next? Donington? Magny-Cours? Hockenheim? Spa? All have incurred Bernie's wrath at one time. Take your pick.

[Scott]

In one sense, I think Max is right, but for the wrong reasons.  F1 may well implode, but not necessarily for the financial pressures Max goes on and on about.  More likely for the fact that we, the core fans will start to leave in droves (and the advertisers will notice) if Max and Bernie don't stop screwing with our beloved sport all for the benefit of their pocketbooks and egos.

[Alianora La Canta]

Henceforth, I will refer to the 2008 homologation as the "engine sorbet".

[Warmwater]

Goodbye F1

I have been a fan of Formula One since the '50s, but the series has become nothing but a gold mine for Bernie and Max at the expense of grass roots sports fans and teams.

Total BS on nearly all points.
The series is dead. Goodbye.

My preferences now are Motorcycle racing and even A1Gp is more interesting.