Controversial venue to host final two F1 pre-season tests in 2014

The Bahrain International Circuit will host the final two pre-season tests for the 2014 Formula 1 world championship. The venue, which first hosted the Bahrain Grand Prix in 2004, was excluded from the F1 calendar in 2011 after a popular uprising in the West Asian nation against the ruling royal family.

The circuit has also hosted pre-season F1 tests previously before the global economic crisis of 2008 forced F1 teams to reduce testing significantly to cut costs.

However, a result of cost-cutting in F1 through reducing pre-season testing - as well as banning in-season testing with the exception of one test last year - meant that teams only tested their cars (and more crucially, tyres) in Spain, where the temperature in the months of January and February is far less that what is encountered at any race weekend in normal circumstanced.

The motorsport magazine Autosport reported on its website that the decision had been taken following a meeting of F1 team managers at the Yeongam circuit in Korea, ahead of this weekend's Korean Grand Prix.

The opening pre-season test for next year's F1 season will be held in Jerez, Spain from January 28 to 31. Following which, Bahrain will host the final two tests from February 19-22 and February 27 to March 2.

Abu Dhabi and Dubai were also considered as candidates to host the warm-weather tests, which will precede four in-season tests that will be held at tracks in Europe on the Tuesday and Wednesday after a Grand Prix race weekend.