A return to Africa made official
It is now confirmed. Formula 1 announced on Tuesday its return to the African continent, with a Grand Prix to be held in Rwanda. A ten-year contract has been signed. Only the date of the first race remains vague: the event is due to join the calendar “in the early 2030s”.
The sport has not raced in Africa since 1993 and the last South African Grand Prix, at Kyalami. The news had been circulating insistently for several days, and F1 has now confirmed it officially.
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A circuit to build near Kigali
If the timetable is vague, it is because everything has yet to be built. The first computer-generated images of the future layout have just been released. The circuit will be located in Bugesera, 40 km south of the capital Kigali, close to the new international airport.
In its statement, F1 calls it a moment that defines its history. Racing in Africa has been a long-held ambition, and the deal rewards years of work to lay the right foundations for a lasting, world-class Grand Prix.
Domenicali and Kagame welcome the deal
Formula 1 president Stefano Domenicali points out that with Rwanda, the sport will be present on every inhabited continent. He says that from the start the aim was to find the right partner for a long-term commitment.
Rwandan president Paul Kagame, in office since 2000, says he is proud to host the African Grand Prix and to share it with 100 million fans across the continent. In his view, the Bugesera circuit is meant to bring jobs, tourism and trade, with a lasting benefit for the people rather than just a race weekend.
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