• Bahrain Grand Prix

Bahrain switched to night race

ESPN Staff
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The 2014 Bahrain Grand Prix will be switched to a night race to mark the tenth anniversary of the Sahkir circuit joining the Formula One calendar.

This year's edition of the race, on April 6, will be run under a specially-designed lighting system around the 5.4km track which was trailed during the World Endurance Championship race last November. Bahrain will join Singapore as the second full night race on the F1 calendar.

Both qualifying and the race will begin under the lights at 6pm local time - 4pm BST. The weekend will kick off at 2pm local time with opening practice, before a 6pm session to give drivers their first experience of driving under the lights. Saturday morning practice will get underway at 3pm local time.

The lighting infrastructure installed around the Sakhir circuit will comprise 495 lighting poles, 450 light fittings and over 500km of cabling.

"This is by far the biggest development project we have ever undertaken at the BIC since the circuit was first built," said Sheikh Salman bin Isa Al-Khalifa, Chief Executive of the Bahrain International Circuit.

"I believe that there can be no better way for us to mark our tenth anniversary in F1 by demonstrating our long term commitment to the sport through this significant investment, cementing our place as the home of motorsport in the Middle East."

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