North America absent from 2009 F1 calendar

By Alan Baldwin

LONDON (Reuters) - North America will be absent from next year's Formula One world championship after the Canadian Grand Prix was dropped from a revised calendar issued by the sport's governing body on Tuesday.

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 U.S. 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 7.

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 30, the weekend after the European Grand Prix in Valencia.

The Italian Grand Prix retreated a week to take Belgium's original September 13 date.

All other dates remained the same as on the provisional calendar released in June, with Australia kicking off the season on March 29 and Abu Dhabi making its debut as the championship finale on November 15.

COST CUTTING