Formula One (F1) has announced that Rwanda will host the African Grand Prix starting from the early 2030s after the East African country beat South Africa, Nigeria and North nations for the hosting rights.
“Formula 1 has announced a landmark 10-year agreement to bring the sport back to the African continent, with the Formula 1 African Grand Prix, presented by Visit Rwanda, set to join the calendar in the early 2030s,” the F1 said in a statement on Tuesday.
By the time the high-powered racing cars take to the track on the purpose-built circuit in Bugesera, Rwanda, it would mark the first time that F1 would race in Africa since the continent’s last Grand Prix at South Africa’s Kyalami circuit in 1993.
“Racing in Africa has been a long-standing ambition for F1, with Tuesday’s announcement following years of collaboration to ensure the right foundations, with the best partner, are in place to deliver a successful, sustainable and world-class Grand Prix for generations to come,” the F1 noted.
The agreement means that the F1 is a step closer towards achieving its goal of racing on every inhabited continent, with Africa being the only continent missing on the calendar.
The announcement followed sustained public and private pressure from Lewis Hamilton, F1’s most successful driver and the only Black driver in the sport’s history, who has consistently advocated the return of a Grand Prix to Africa.
Speaking earlier this year, the 41-year-old stated that he does not want to retire from the sport until he races in Africa.
“I don’t want to leave the sport without having a grand prix there, without getting to race there. I’m chasing them — when is it going to be? They’re setting certain dates.
“I’m like, damn, I could be running out of time, so I’m going to be here for a while until that happens, because that would be amazing, given that I’m half-African,” Hamilton said.
Commenting on the agreement, Rwandan President Paul Kagame said “Today belongs to Africa. For more than three decades, the world’s premier motorsport championship has raced without this continent, and that changes with this agreement.
“Rwanda is proud to host the Formula 1 African Grand Prix, and to share this moment with more than 100 million fans across Africa, many of them young people who deserve to see the sport at home and to see themselves in it: as engineers, technicians.”
Meanwhile, President and CEO of F1, Stefano Domenicali, described the announcement as a landmark moment for F1, stating “Today is a landmark moment for Formula 1. 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.
“Africa has always been part of Formula 1’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.”
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