FIA confirms rotation system for WRC

The calendars for the 2009 and 2010 World Rally Championships were confirmed on Friday following a meeting of the World Motor Sport Council in Monte Carlo.

The schedule will be slashed to just twelve events per season from 2009 - four less than what has been the norm in recent years, and in a bid to include new countries into the Championship, the WRC will also adopt a rotation system. Twenty-four different events will make up the Championship over the space of two years.

As previously suggested, the iconic Rallye Monte Carlo will not be apart of the WRC in 2009, although it will return in 2010.  Rally Australia is scheduled for 2009, but will not appear in 2010.

New events on the calendar include Poland (2009), Indonesia, Russia and Bulgaria, all scheduled for 2010.

2009 FIA World Rally Championship calendar

1 Feb Ireland
15 Feb Norway
15 Mar Cyprus
5 Apr Portugal
26 Apr Argentina
24 May Italy
14 Jun Greece
28 Jun Poland (NEW)
2 Aug Finland
6 Sep Australia
4 Oct Spain
25 Oct GB

2010 FIA World Rally Championship calendar

24 Jan Monte Carlo
14 Feb Sweden
7 Mar Mexico
11 Apr Jordan
25 Apr Turkey
16 May New Zealand
20 Jun Indonesia (NEW)
18 Jul Russia (NEW)
8 Aug Bulgaria (NEW)
22 Aug Germany
12 Sep Japan
10 Oct France

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