Canada GP axe angers F1 manufacturers

LONDON, England (CNN) -- The axing of the Canadian Grand Prix from the 2009 Formula One calendar has left fans angered, team bosses annoyed and the promoter dismayed.

The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, with its seemingly simplistic straights-and-chicanes layout, is predictable for its unpredictability when it comes to the sort of races and winners it produces.

Host city Montreal is loved by the teams, drivers, fans and sponsors. And it was only this year the circuit, built on a man-made island in the St Lawrence Seaway, upgraded its paddock and media facilities at a cost of around $6 million.

But it has come off the calendar for the first time since 1987, ostensibly to make room for the teams' three-week summer break -- but also to make room for another Middle Eastern grand prix, in Abu Dhabi.

There had been commercial disagreements between Bernie Ecclestone's Formula One Management and the race's private promoter, F1 Grand Prix du Canada, over the rising costs of staging the event, which some reports suggest is $20 million.

The promoter made a series of proposals to ease Montreal's financial burden but all of them were turned down. Read more about F1 at The Circuit.

Canadian Grand Prix spokesman Paul Wilson explained the event could no longer compete with those that benefit from financial assistance from governments.

But Wilson said he is hoping the regional government steps in to rescue an event which brings in a reputed $100m in revenues to the area annually.

"It's for them to call the shots," Wilson told the Canadian Press Association. "If they think it's a good idea for the city, for the province, for the country, let's go for it.

Does F1 need North America more than the other way round?

"It is true that a commercial disagreement existed between us and we are sorry that Mr Ecclestone deemed it appropriate to cut short the negotiations and react in this manner.

"For an organization like ours, which is to say a private promoter, the actual business model implemented by the owners and the Formula One teams is no longer feasible."

Financial problems have also led to the promoter of the historic French Grand Prix pulling out of F1 for 2009.

With the US Grand Prix, last held in 2007, also absent from the 2009 calendar, F1 will not be paying a visit to North America for the first time since the sport's inception in 1950.

F1 teams, backed by some of the world's biggest engine manufacturers, are already disquieted by the lack of a US Grand Prix. With the removal of Canada as well, the lack of exposure to the pivotal North American car-buying market has added to their ire.

BMW boss Mario Theissen said: "We are not happy about not being in North America. The US is the most important and biggest car market for BMW and I think for the industry as a whole.

"It has always been difficult to set foot into the US but Canada has always been a very strong Formula One supporter. I have seen the race in Montreal as an operational base to get a second race up and running in the US."

An unhappy Honda team principal Nick Fry agreed that to overcome the economies-of-scale issue F1 needs to host potentially three races in North America.

"We are hugely disappointed -- it's difficult to emphasize by how much," he said. "Honda is very successful in Canada, we make cars there, the local company there is hugely enthusiastic about Formula One.

"We have large numbers of guests from America and from Canada. We sponsor the event, we would like to see it back on the calendar as soon as possible.

"We need to look at how we're not just going to get back Canada but how we get back to America, potentially more than once, as it is such an important market."

The matter is expected to be raised when the Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) meet FIA president Max Mosley after the Chinese Grand Prix this weekend.

Discussions will focus around how F1 is to combat the current economic crisis -- including the FIA imposing a single-engine rule, against the wishes of the manufacturers, from 2010.

But until that comes into effect, the teams' desire not to miss out on the North American market is strong.

Toyota team principal John Howett said: "I think one of the targets of FOTA is to actually ask the commercial rights holder to really establish a strong foothold in North America, particularly the US, with a race which showcases Formula One well, and is economically beneficial to Formula One as a whole.

"I think this is one of the core discussions FOTA wishes to have because it is a very important market for our sponsors and for Formula One.

"Hopefully in the next one to two years we can establish a proper race in the United States which is good for all of us."