WRC Calendars '09 and '10

Well, there is already calendars for two coming years for WRC. I hope, that will provide me a possibility to go to Poland, Bulgaria and Russia to watch the Rally LIVE. That's just amasing, that FIA decided to pay more attention to promotion of motosport in new countries, that host their local champs only. Maysbe we will see Petter in Ukraine? With a SS in Kiev? That would be mega-fun!

The FIA, the governing body of the World Rally Championship, has confirmed the calendars that will be adopted in 2009 and 2010 following a meeting of the World Motor Sport Council on Friday in Monte Carlo.

As previously announced back in the summer, the schedule will be slashed to just twelve events per season from '09 - four less than has become the norm in recent years. In a bid to include new countries the WRC will also adopt a rotation system, with 24 different events taking place over the space of two years.

As part of this plan, it means the Rallye Monte Carlo will not be apart of the WRC in 2009, although it will return in 2010.

Rally Ireland has thus been given the honour of opening the 2009 season, while it will conclude with the Wales Rally GB.

Cyprus has also been given a slot for '09 - even though this year's candidate event didn't run exactly smoothly, while Poland will run a WRC event for he very first time. Other new events include rallies in Russia, Bulgaria and Indonesia, although these latter three are all pencilled in for 2010.

The full line-ups are as follows:

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