Could South Africa be beaten to the punch by fellow African country Rwanda, as countries jostle for the right to be the next to host a Formula 1 race?
Speculation in recent weeks suggests Rwanda may be the next destination in mind for F1 as it continues its global expansion. Despite the current calendar containing a record 24 races, there could be further stops added at a later date, with plenty of prospective venues eager to get involved in the boom in interest.
The continent of Africa hasn’t hosted a Grand Prix since South Africa staged its last race in 1993, but the idea of a race in or near Rwanda’s capital Kigali does tally with the big vision for the country’s development and plan to attract more tourists, which is the big picture vision of President Paul Kagame.
Africa also has a big supporter in F1 legend Lewis Hamilton, according to motorsport.com.
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Asked at the Dutch Grand Prix if it was the right time for a race to return to Africa, the seven-time world champion replied: “100%. We can’t be adding races in other locations and continue to ignore Africa, which the rest of the world just takes from. No-one gives anything to Africa. There’s a huge amount of work that needs to be done there. I think a lot of the world that haven’t been there don’t realise how beautiful the place is, how vast it is. I think having a grand prix there, it would really be able to highlight just how great the place is and bring in tourism and all sorts of things. Why are we not on that continent? And the current excuse is that there’s not a track that’s ready, but there is at least one track that’s ready there. In the short-term, we should just get on that track and have that part of the calendar and then work on building out something moving forward.”
F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali told motorsport.com that a meeting had been set up with Rwanda to talk about the project, which he said showed promise.
“They are serious,” said Domenicali. “They have presented a good plan and it will be on a permanent track. We want to go to Africa, but we need to have the right investment, and the right strategic plan.”
Hamilton would be open to discussions on the matter with Domenicali as Rwanda seemingly continues to strengthen its interest in hosting a race.
“Rwanda is one of my favourite places I’ve been to, actually,” he added. “I’ve been doing a lot of work in the background. I’ve spoken to people in Rwanda, I’ve spoken to people in South Africa. But that’s a longer project, Rwanda. It’s amazing that they’re so keen.”
Further meetings in Rwanda on the potential F1 project are scheduled for the end of September, before Kigali hosts the FIA’s annual awards ceremony in December.
Further strengthening Rwanda’s case is the fact that Qatar Airways – a major global partner of F1 – is the majority shareholder of a new Kigali airport, planned to open in 2027 and being positioned as a new African hub.
Through its Visit Rwanda tourism brand, the country already has ties with Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal, Bayern Munich and the NBA-backed Basketball Africa League.
