F1 night race concept to go to China, Korea

Bernie Ecclestone is now hoping to install night races in China and South Korea, after revealing on Sunday that Malaysia has finally agreed to floodlighting the Sepang circuit from 2009. "We'll speak to the people in China, see what we can do there," the 77-year-old F1 chief executive is quoted as saying by the news agency Bloomberg.

Singapore will host F1's first ever night race in September, and South Korea is due to join the annual grand prix calendar in 2010.

"Obviously when we race in South Korea, it will be good to have a night race," said the Briton, who argues that night time events in Asia will bolster the key European television audience.

Ecclestone admits that he is having trouble convincing Australia to farewell daylight racing, but seemed unfazed at the prospect of a "divorce" with the southern country.

"There's no kids involved so we haven't got a big problem," he joked.

Malaysian organisers, on the other hand, "know it is necessary" to switch to a night race, Ecclestone said, flagging a later than 7pm start and insisting that Sepang bear the costs.