Television coverage of the V8 Supercars Championship Series’s first two rounds in the Middle East will be delayed into Australian homes.

The 2010 championship kicks off in a day/night format at the new Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi (February 18-20).

In past Middle Eastern races at Bahrain, the race has been shown live (around midnight/1am), with a repeated broadcast at its regular 3pm weekend timeslot. This time, however, the opening two rounds of the V8 series will only be shown in the afternoon.

Due to the twilight races at Abu Dhabi, the races wouldn’t be live into Australian homes until around 3am.

V8 Supercars executive chairman Tony Cochrane says that the decision has been made for the fans.

“Because we’re racing so late in the day in Abu Dhabi, we’re going to hold the telecast for the fans for the Saturday and Sunday afternoon – as per normal programming,” he said.

“It will be slightly delayed, about seven hours. We think that will be the best for our many fans, being able to watch it at its normal timeslot, in the afternoon, on the weekend.

“That’s what the Seven Network want as well, so it’s a win-win for everybody.”