Montreal facing huge loss after F1 dumping
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Montreal faces losses of up to $95 million after Formula One's governing body, the FIA, excluded it from next season's Grand Prix circuit, according to the city's mayor.
At a meeting in Paris, the FIA awarded United Arab Emirates city Abu Dhabi its first ever race in place of Canada for the 2009 season, without giving any further details about the decision.
Montreal mayor Gerald Tremblay, speaking on Radio-Canada, said: "We're talking about losses of some $C75 million to the local economy as a result. This is a large sum."
He said the decision would have an impact on the global image of the city, adding that over 300 million people watch the race.
"We'll see in the coming hours what we can do," Mr Tremblay added, announcing a meeting with Normand Legault, promoter of the Canadian Grand Prix.
Race organisers had no idea the event would be removed from the calendar and the official website is still advertising tickets for next year.
"The executives of the Grand Prix of Canada have learned via the media of the omission of the Grand Prix of Canada from the F1 Championship 2009 calendar," organisers said in a statement, adding they would not comment further until FIA had been consulted.
In 2003, Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone had said Montreal would be dropped from the schedule the following year because of a new ban on tobacco advertising, aimed at major sponsors of the event. But that decision was reversed amid protests.
In June 2006 after a meeting with Mr Ecclestone, Mr Legault told local press that the future of the race was assured for five more years.
At Mr Ecclestone's request the track was modernised, but after last year's race - won by Robert Kubica of BMW Sauber - a number of drivers complained about the surface.
The new 18-race F1 season will kick off on March 29 in Australia and end in Abu Dhabi on November 15.
-AFP
