South Africa’s Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture has said F1 will "absolutely" return to the country in the near future.
F1 has not visited South Africa since the 1993 season, when it was held at the famous Kyalami circuit.
Thirty years later, F1 has expanded, exploring new territories in the Americas, the Middle East and Asia, but Africa remains untapped.
Talks are accelerating about hosting the Grand Prix in Rwanda in 2024, but South African Minister Gayton McKenzie is determined to see F1 return to his country.
“I can tell you this: F1 is definitely coming[to South Africa],” South Africa’s Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture told Rally’s F1.
“F1 told us they were keen to participate, they told us what it would take for them to participate, and we hope they will participate. We will provide you with what you need.
“There’s still a big battle going on at the moment. Is it Cape Town or is it Joburg? That decision hasn’t been made.”
Domenicali aims for African Grand Prix
Talk of F1 returning to South Africa has accelerated in recent years.
In 2022, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali said: “There are regions in the world that would like to host F1 and I think one of the regions we would like to develop is the African region.”
“We have a world championship, but that’s an area where we’re not there.”
But despite intensifying negotiations over the South African Grand Prix and Domenicali holding talks with Kyalami officials in 2023, no deal has yet been reached to bring F1 back to the country.
Rwanda has emerged as a leading candidate to bring F1 to the African continent in 2024, and Domenicali will hold discussions with event organizers.
Lewis Hamilton believes South Africa is ready to host F1
Lewis Hamilton: South Africa ‘ready’ to host F1
Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton has been pressuring F1 to race in Africa for years, but with Rwanda emerging as a candidate in August, the seven-time world champion made his feelings clear did.
“We can’t add more races elsewhere and we can’t continue to ignore Africa, which the rest of the world is taking away from. Nobody is giving anything to Africa,” said Hamilton at the motorsport in Zandvoort. He spoke to some media outlets, including Sportsweek.
“There’s a huge amount of work that needs to be done there. I think a lot of people in the world who haven’t been there don’t realize how beautiful it is and how vast it is.
“I think having a Grand Prix there would highlight how great the place is and bring in tourism and all sorts of things, so why aren’t we on that continent?”
For McKenzie, Hamilton hinted that Kyalami would be the right place to host the GP, saying: “The excuse at the moment is maybe no track is ready, but there’s at least one track that is.” he said.
Read more: Rwanda to hold talks in September over F1 GP bid – Domenicali
