Australia could be among the first grands prix to be staged at night, it has emerged.

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F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has been talking up the concept of racing under floodlights in recent days, and he is currently in Singapore for talks about a possible night race there in the near future.

But Melbourne could be next, as the 76-year-old is also in talks with Australian GP promoter Ron Walker about a night race to open the calendar.

"We are looking at it and when Bernie gets here, we'll talk to him about it again," Walker told Melbourne newspaper The Age this week.

"He hasn't said to me that we have to do it. It's an option," Walker added, pointing out the city's power grid problems and the environmental issues.

China, Japan and South Korea are also contenders for night races, which would provide not only a novelty factor but a better timeslot for TV spectators in Europe and the US.