The FIA World Motor Sport Council has approved the draft schedule for the 2009 World Touring Car Championship season and Macau has remained on the list.

There are 12 meetings planned, including one in Morocco in May that will make use of a new street circuit around Marrakech that awaits homologating by the FIA.

The other change concerns the Portuguese event, which returns to Porto after Estoril’s hosting this season – and that venue will also need to be ratified by the governing body, reports MDTN.

As in 2008, the season will start in Curitiba, Brazil, and end in Macau. As the date of the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix has been moved to August 30, it now clashes with the WTCC event in Germany.

Promoter KSO and the managers of the track at Oschersleben are looking to potentially move the meeting back a week to September 6.

2008 WTCC calendar:
March 8: Curitiba, Brazil
March 22: Puebla, Mexico
May 3: Marrakech, Morocco
May 17: Pau, France
May 31: Valencia, Spain
June 21: Brno, Czech Republic
July 5: Porto, Portugal
July 19: Brands Hatch, Great Britain
August 30: Oschersleben, Germany
October 4: Monza, Italy
October 25: Okayama, Japan
November 22: Macau