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2009 FIA World Rally Championship

Monte Carlo will be absent from the 2009 World Rally Championship after the FIA's World Motor Sport Council confirmed the calendar will use a rotation system in two years' time.

The rotation system allows candidate rallies to be alternated year-on-year to provide all proposed events with a chance of appearing on the schedule.

The inclusion of the system means the 2009 season will kick off in Ireland, while the historic Monte Carlo rally will not be on the calendar for the first time since 1996.

The event, absent from the world rally championship calendar only twice - in 1974 and 1996 - since 1949, will return to its traditional slot as season opener in 2010.

There will be only 12 events in 2009 and 2010, compared to this year's 16 rounds and next year's 15.

2009 FIA World Rally Championship:
Ireland         01-Feb
Norway          15-Feb
Cyprus          15-Mar
Portugal        05-Apr
Argentina       26-Apr
Italy           24-May
Greece          14-Jun
Poland          28-Jun
Finland         02-Aug
Australia       06-Sep
Spain           04-Oct
GB              25-Oct