Formula 1 will return to Africa for the first time in nearly four decades after signing a 10-year deal for Rwanda to host the African Grand Prix from the early 2030s, the sport announced on Tuesday.
Landmark deal in Kigali
The agreement was announced at a ceremony in Kigali attended by F1 president and CEO Stefano Domenicali, Rwandan President Paul Kagame and FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem. Formula 1 has not raced on the continent since the 1993 South African Grand Prix at Kyalami, north of Johannesburg.
"Today is a landmark moment for Formula One," Domenicali said. "With Rwanda joining the calendar from the next decade, our sport will race in every inhabited continent, bringing the world championship closer than ever to fans around the globe." He noted that Africa is home to more than 100 million F1 fans, a number he said continues to grow rapidly.
A purpose-built circuit
The race will be held at a new purpose-built circuit in Bugesera, about 40 kilometres south of Kigali, near a new international airport under construction there. The track is expected to be completed early in the next decade and will be built to FIA Grade 1 standards. The circuit, being designed by former F1 driver Alexander Wurz's firm, will run about six kilometres with 17 corners in an anti-clockwise layout, following the area's natural terrain with nearly 200 metres of elevation change per lap.
Kagame, who announced Rwanda's bid in December 2024, called the partnership "long overdue" and "a milestone for the entire continent," saying he hoped the African Grand Prix would pave the way for more races on the continent. Rwanda becomes only the third African country to host a championship round, after Morocco in 1958 and South Africa.
Hamilton's long campaign
The announcement fulfils a long-held ambition of seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, the only Black driver in F1, who has campaigned for years behind the scenes for a race in Africa. Hamilton, 41, has repeatedly called an African Grand Prix the sport's most important missing race.
The deal is also part of Rwanda's wider strategy of using sport — including football and basketball partnerships — to reshape its global image, attract tourists and draw investment, more than three decades after the 1994 genocide.
Sources: Rwanda to host F1 race from early 2030s in 10-year deal — Reuters | Rwanda to host a Grand Prix in 2030s as Formula One returns to Africa — Al Jazeera
Landmark deal in Kigali
The agreement was announced at a ceremony in Kigali attended by F1 president and CEO Stefano Domenicali, Rwandan President Paul Kagame and FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem. Formula 1 has not raced on the continent since the 1993 South African Grand Prix at Kyalami, north of Johannesburg.
"Today is a landmark moment for Formula One," Domenicali said. "With Rwanda joining the calendar from the next decade, our sport will race in every inhabited continent, bringing the world championship closer than ever to fans around the globe." He noted that Africa is home to more than 100 million F1 fans, a number he said continues to grow rapidly.
A purpose-built circuit
The race will be held at a new purpose-built circuit in Bugesera, about 40 kilometres south of Kigali, near a new international airport under construction there. The track is expected to be completed early in the next decade and will be built to FIA Grade 1 standards. The circuit, being designed by former F1 driver Alexander Wurz's firm, will run about six kilometres with 17 corners in an anti-clockwise layout, following the area's natural terrain with nearly 200 metres of elevation change per lap.
Kagame, who announced Rwanda's bid in December 2024, called the partnership "long overdue" and "a milestone for the entire continent," saying he hoped the African Grand Prix would pave the way for more races on the continent. Rwanda becomes only the third African country to host a championship round, after Morocco in 1958 and South Africa.
Hamilton's long campaign
The announcement fulfils a long-held ambition of seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, the only Black driver in F1, who has campaigned for years behind the scenes for a race in Africa. Hamilton, 41, has repeatedly called an African Grand Prix the sport's most important missing race.
The deal is also part of Rwanda's wider strategy of using sport — including football and basketball partnerships — to reshape its global image, attract tourists and draw investment, more than three decades after the 1994 genocide.
Sources: Rwanda to host F1 race from early 2030s in 10-year deal — Reuters | Rwanda to host a Grand Prix in 2030s as Formula One returns to Africa — Al Jazeera
