The FIA, the governing body for the World Rally Championship, has confirmed the calendar for 2008 today [Friday] following a fax vote by the World Motor Sport Council.

Compared to the version released at the end of October there are virtually no changes. Indeed as was announced two months ago there will be one less event next season, with 15 on the bill instead of 16.

Rally Mexico replaces Rally Australia, after CAMS, the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport, submitted a formal request to the FIA to delay its return to the WRC until 2009. The two candidate nations that were vying for a slot are not included - namely Cyprus or Poland.

The only changes concerns the two support categories, with the FIA Junior Rally Championship and the FIA Production Car World Rally Championship both gaining an additional event.

Rally Finland will become a round of both the JRC and the PWRC - it was only a JRC event before - while Mexico is changed to a Junior event and Turkey to a PWRC event. The Rallye de France-Tour de Corse, which previously wasn't included in either the JRC or the PWRC, is now part of the Junior schedule.

The full calendar is as follows:


2008 FIA World Rally Championship calendar:

Jan 25-27 Rallye Automobile Monte-Carlo
Feb 8-10 Uddeholm Swedish Rally P
Feb 28-March 3 Rally Mexico J
March 28-30 Rally Argentina P
April 25-27 Jordan Rally WRC J
May 16-18 Rallye d'Italia-Sardegna J
May 30-June 1 BP Ultimate Acropolis Rally P
June 13-15 Rally of Turkey P
Aug 1-Aug 3 Neste Oil Rally Finland J / P
Aug 15-17 ADAC Rallye Deutschland J
Aug 29-31 Rally of New Zealand P
Oct 3-5 Rallye de Espana J
Oct 10-12 Rallye de France Tour de Corse J
Oct 24-26 Rally Japan P
Nov 28-30 Wales Rally GB P

P - denotes round of Production Car World Rally Championship /
J - denotes round of Junior Rally Championship