A nighttime Bahrain Grand Prix in 2014?
The Bahrain Grand Prix will celebrate its 10th year on the Formula 1 calendar next year, and for the occasion, the organizers have decided that the race will be held at night.
Officials at the Sakhir circuit in Bahrain once hoped to host the first Grand Prix of the 2014 Formula 1 season, but ultimately it is Australia that will open next season of F1, which seems to be acceptable to the Bahraini track officials.
Indeed, according to Autosport, the 2014 Bahrain Grand Prix will be a night race, and the organizers have thus asked Bernie Ecclestone not to open the season to allow time to install the lighting system around the circuit for the race. “We asked Bernie [Ecclestone] not to be the first Grand Prix of the year because we are undertaking a major update of the circuit to commemorate the 10th anniversary. We didn’t want to be pressed for time,” said Zayed Al Zayani, the circuit’s boss, to Autosport in Monza.
Questioned about what these innovations were, Al Zayani confided: « There are many things, but the main one is that it will be a night race. »
The 2013 Bahrain Grand Prix started at 3 PM local time, which is 2 PM French time, and it is highly likely that the race will not be completely nighttime like in Singapore, so it can be broadcast at a “reasonable” hour in Europe. It could therefore perhaps resemble more the Abu Dhabi race, which starts during the day and ends at night. The race could begin at 5 PM or 6 PM local time, which would be 6 PM or 7 PM French time.
