Rwanda to bring F1 racing back to Africa

Africa will return to the Formula One calendar for the first time this century with Rwanda agreeing a 10-year deal to host a grand prix from the early 2030s, the sport announced on Tuesday.

Formula One last raced on the continent in 1993 at South Africa’s Kyalami circuit to the north of Johannesburg and has long sought a way back.

“Today is a landmark moment for Formula One,” said Chief Executive Stefano Domenicali at a press conference in the capital Kigali with Rwandan President Paul Kagame and International Automobile Federation (FIA) head Mohammed Ben Sulayem.

“Africa has always been part of Formula One’s future, and from the beginning we were determined to return in the right way, with the right partner, a long-term commitment and a clear vision for creating meaningful impact.”

Seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton, now 41 and racing for Ferrari, has said repeatedly that the time is right for a race in Africa and pushed for it to happen.

Rwanda’s President announced his landlocked East African country’s bid two years ago, with plans for a purpose-built Grade One track near a new international airport under construction at Bugesera some 40km (25 miles) south of Kigali. The circuit is expected to be completed early in the next decade.

South Africa has also been keen to host a race in Cape Town or Kyalami, with sports minister Gayton Mackenzie saying recently that could still be possible.

Rwanda will become the third African country to host a round of the championship that started in 1950, with Morocco putting on a race outside Casablanca in 1958.