The Shanghai Grand Prix has been moved forward from near the end of the 2009 Formula One calendar to the third race of the series.

The move was one of several changes to the calendar made at a meeting of the World Motor Sport Council in Paris on Wednesday.

Moving the Shanghai race forward to April 19 means the Bahrain GP has gone back a week to April 26. The Brazilian GP has taken Shanghai's original date of October 18 as the next-to-last race, but the championship still finishes with a first-ever Abu Dhabi GP on November 1.

The council also moved the start of the first two races in Australia and Malaysia to 1700 local time to help TV coverage in Europe.

The International Automobile Federation (FIA) published a calendar featuring 17 races, from which Canada and France were dropped as planned.

The FIA also said that stewarding rules will be revised next year in a bid to reduce the number of controversial decisions.

Engine life will be extended from two to three races in 2009, the FIA said in a statement after the council meeting.

National stewards, FIA said, will be required to observe a minimum of one race before officiating for the first time.

A new replay system will be available to stewards and all incidents will be investigated and action taken during the race unless further evidence is absolutely needed, FIA added.

A written explanation of stewards' decisions will be published on the FIA Website after the race.Former drivers will be able to apply for national stewarding licenses, the ruling body added.

The stewards, a panel consisting of two international ones and a national one, made a number of controversial decisions this season, some of which led to teams lodging an appeal.

(Agencies via Shanghai Daily November 7, 2008)