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F1 wants to return. Lewis Hamilton insists F1 cannot continue to ignore it. But after 31 years, the sport still hasn’t been able to crack the route to Africa, the only viable continent (sorry, Antarctica) that hasn’t raced.
The last F1 Grand Prix was held on the ‘Mother Continent’ in 1993. It was at Kyalami, 32 miles north of Johannesburg, that Williams driver Alain Prost won the 27th South African Grand Prix.
Rather obviously, the record 24-race calendar does not actually include the entire world and its continents, so it is difficult to claim the complete veracity of the competition “F1 World Championship”.
But F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali made no secret of his desire to add African races to the schedule during a series of opening talks with Rwandan officials last month.
But is Rwanda the only option? South Africa has also come close to that in recent years. And what are the main obstacles? The Independent looks at all the places F1 could potentially expand into Africa.
South Africa
For a long time, it looked like South Africa would return to the calendar as early as this year.
Negotiations had been going on for some time when Domenicali visited the Kyalami circuit in 2022. Circuits with FIA Grade 2 status must be improved to Grade 1 level to host F1, which means upgrades to spectator facilities, run-off areas and circuits. Official approval from the FIA.
There was even speculation that South Africa could replace Belgium’s famous Spa-Francorchamps as early as 2024. But then several events led to Kyalami’s return to off-piste.
The main reason is Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, but rather the South African government’s failure to condemn Vladimir Putin’s actions. On the contrary, South Africa, a member of the Brics group that includes Brazil, Russia, India and China, was scheduled to welcome Putin to the summit last year, but the Russian president ultimately joined via video link.
Meanwhile, F1 ended its contract with the Russian Grand Prix following the invasion. These two contradictory positions show no signs of changing.
But former F1 world champion Jody Scheckter claims the reunion was thwarted by the “greed” of circuit officials.
“I was part of the inside of it and my nephew worked on it for six years,” Scheckter told Total Motorsport in 2023.
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Kyalami currently has FIA Grade 2 status but needs to be promoted to Grade 1 (Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit).
“It was so close… F1 came to sign autographs. He had the backing of the government and behind him he also had the richest people in South Africa. Everything was in place and the guy from Kyalami was greedy. It has become.
“Right after F1 left, he completely changed everything. The government realized there was a fight and withdrew and that was it.”
Still, the latest updates are encouraging. South African Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie held his first meeting with Domenicali at last month’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix and is determined to bring F1 back to South Africa.
He then reportedly said: F1 told us they were keen to join us. They told us what it took to come. And we’re going to give them what they need.
“What I’ve done is told everyone to stand back. Leave it to me. ‘Cause we’ve heard twice that F1 is coming, they’ve come to the order twice, they’ve seen no merit. Because I couldn’t get it. That’s why I’m here now.
“There’s a big battle going on at the moment, but is it Cape Town or Joburg?” This decision has not been made. ”
Cape Town hosted a Formula E street race in 2023, but the F1 race will likely be held at Killarney Raceway in Table View. However, like Kyalami, it will require an upgrade from the current FIA Grade 2 level.
But Mr McKenzie insisted a new line could be built on the outskirts of Cape Town. Nevertheless, while the minister may be enthusiastic in words, his subsequent actions will show whether a return to the Rainbow Nation is truly achievable.
Rwanda
In a surprising development, Domenicali revealed in August that he was close to talks with Rwandan officials about a Formula 1 race.
“They (Rwanda) are serious,” Domenicali said. “They’ve presented a good plan and we’re actually going to be meeting with them at the end of September. It will be on a permanent track.”
According to Amnesty International, Rwanda is marked by the tragedy of the 1994 genocide that claimed 800,000 lives in just 100 days.
The East African country has invested heavily in sport in recent years, signing sponsorship deals with Arsenal and PSG. In the field of motorsports, the FIA Awards Ceremony will be held in December in the capital, Kigali, where the F1 World Champion will be awarded a medal. Official trophy.
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Rwanda has sponsorship deals with Arsenal and others (Getty)
What are the specific plans for the new racetrack? Nothing has been decided yet. The subject of speculation is a circuit located 15 miles outside Kigali, near the country’s new international airport.
Representatives from the Rwanda Development Board met with the FIA during this year’s Monaco Grand Prix, and a further meeting with Domenicali was scheduled for the end of September.
It feels like Rwanda’s first test will be the end-of-season FIA celebrations in December, especially amid the current Marburg virus outbreak. No one knows whether it will be successful or not. Perhaps they can defeat South Africa once and for all.
uganda
Late last year, it was announced that there are plans to build an F1-level racetrack in Jinja, in eastern Uganda, as part of a 20-year Nile headwaters redevelopment project aimed at making the country a world power. There was speculation. -Class tourist destination.
However, nothing has been announced since those rumors surfaced.
Morocco
The Moroccan Grand Prix appeared on the F1 calendar for two years, in 1957 and 1958. The circuit is located at Ain Diab on the Corniche of Casablanca and was won by Stirling Moss in its final year.
There are currently no plans for F1 to return, although there is speculation that a race could be held in the city of Tangier.
However, the first Moroccan Historic Grand Prix will be held from November 8th to 10th at the Sidi Dawi Circuit in Oued Zem, where vintage racing cars will be on display.
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Stirling Moss won the last Moroccan Grand Prix in 1959 (Getty)
Which race will replace the African Grand Prix?
There are currently seven races whose contracts with F1 expire after 2025: China, Netherlands, Belgium, Mexico, Imola, Monza and Monaco.
Of these, Monaco and China are most likely to maintain their positions. The Netherlands (Zandvoort) and Belgium (Spa) have long been rumored to be a possible rotational deal, but even Italian executive Domenicali has said that in the long term there may not be space to race two races in Italy. He admitted that there is a high possibility that Imola will step down. However, the two tracks can still rotate.
This leaves Mexico with an extension that could depend on Sergio Perez’s future in the sport. If the two-rotation goes ahead and Mexico drops out, that would leave three spaces open on the 2026 calendar, but F1 bosses have already said they do not intend to go beyond the current total of 24.
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Mexico’s place on the F1 calendar may depend heavily on Sergio Perez’s future (Getty)
What is the overall judgment?
Kyalami and returning to South Africa would be the most romantic option. Although the track has a rich history in the sport, it would require extensive refurbishment to host modern F1 events.
But recent failures are a bad sign. Unlike the recent additions of the Middle East (Saudi Arabia and Qatar) and the United States (Miami and Las Vegas), South Africa’s money is not bottomless and F1 owner Liberty Media says all venues will now have to pay for it. revealed that. Considering the popularity boom of the sport.
As a result, Rwanda may become a more attractive and lucrative option. December’s FIA Award will be Test Number 1.
In any case, the reality is that racing in Africa still seems quite far away, with 2028 potentially becoming a more realistic year for a return to Africa. Especially considering that other countries like South Korea, Argentina, and Thailand are also itching to win the grand prize.
