Bahrain to be night race in 2014 - reports

Sep.10 (GMM) Bahrain will celebrate its tenth anniversary as a formula one host by staging next year's race under lights.

Although 2014 will not be the tenth Bahrain grand prix, because the race was removed from the calendar in 2011 due to the island Kingdom's civil unrest outbreak, it will be the tenth anniversary of the first race in 2004.

To mark the occasion, circuit chairman Zayed Alzayani revealed earlier this year: "We are looking at many options.

"A night race could be one of them, but it is not the only one. There are pros and cons to doing it."

It appears the 'pros' have won the day, with European publications Speed Week (Germany) and Italiaracing (Italy) reporting that the deal was agreed between Alzayani and Bernie Ecclestone at Monza at the weekend.

Speed Week said the news will be confirmed 'in the coming days', while Italiaracing said the work to install the lighting systems should be complete by February.

According to the draft calendar that did the rounds at Monza, Bahrain will host the fifth round of the 2014 championship, in late April.

Speed Week correspondent Mathias Brunner said: "It is still unclear whether Bahrain will be a twilight race, like Abu Dhabi, or a pure night race, like Singapore."