Canadian Grand Prix Is Officially Gone For 2009

by Edmund Jenks | November 18, 2008 at 04:43 pm

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It's sad but true ... in much the same type of problem that plagues F1 venues around the world, F1's monetary demands outstrip the budgets that can support the event.

This was one of the main reasons that the Long Beach Grand Prix broke with the FIA after the successful series of races that launched this seaside city into open wheel racing history.

What doesn't make sense, however, is that this F1 management tactic of asking for even more money was placed on such a long term venue as Montreal.

Canadian Grand Prix Can No Longer Be Saved

The Canadian Grand Prix' hopes of saving its place on the calendar has evaporated after the Government refused to meet the demands of Bernie Ecclestone and the FOM.

Montreal's mayor Gerald Tremblay announced in a press conference on Sunday that their organizers had failed to reach an agreement, with the government unable to justify the cost of the event at its current asking price.

Tremblay and officials from various levels had fought hard to keep the much loved venue on the calendar, and and hoped that a fresh injection of cash could be enough to keep the race after it was axed from the provisional calendar for 2009.

But the Mayor says a deal could not be reached as F1 supremo was demanding $175 million over a period of five years, but the government would only go to $110 million.