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Formula 1 revealed on Tuesday that Rwanda will stage a race starting in the early 2030s, signaling the series' comeback to Africa after roughly four decades. The African Grand Prix will operate under a 10-year contract and be held at a specially constructed circuit in Bugesera, located southeast of the capital, Kigali. According to F1, the track is expected to be completed early in the next decade.
At a launch event in Kigali, Rwandan President Paul Kagame described the development as "a success and a milestone for the entire continent, especially for the African fans," and expressed hope that it could pave the way for additional F1 events across Africa.
The race will realize a long-standing goal for seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, the only Black driver in F1. The 41-year-old British driver has reportedly been advocating behind the scenes for years to bring a grand prix to Africa. The last F1 race on the continent was the South African Grand Prix in 1993.
"Today is a landmark moment for Formula 1," said Stefano Domenicali, F1 President and CEO. "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."
Key Analysis
The deal could draw attention to Rwanda's human rights record. The country has long pursued a prominent role in global sports, and hosting an F1 race would elevate that strategy significantly. Under President Kagame, Rwanda has sponsored major European soccer teams, formed a basketball partnership with the NBA, and hosted the world cycling championships. These efforts aim to promote a positive image of a nation still often associated with the 1994 genocide. Critics have accused Rwanda of sportswashing to divert attention from Kagame's rights record. The United Nations has accused Rwanda of backing rebels in neighboring Congo, and Congolese officials have condemned its soccer sponsorships.
Rwanda is poised to beat South Africa to the punch. Rival projects to bring F1 back to Africa have been proposed in recent years, including three potential venues in South Africa and one in Morocco. South Africa's Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, issued a statement last week congratulating Rwanda even before the decision was official, but insisted his country will also get an F1 race. "We are happy for Rwanda's 2030 F1. They have worked on it longer than SA and deserve it," McKenzie wrote on X. "Remember though that one country, Italy, has had two F1s a year, and some react like a continent of 55 countries can only get one. SA will get F1, even before 2030." F1's statement on Tuesday made no mention of South Africa.
F1's history in Africa was intertwined with apartheid. Many of the sport's previous races in Africa were overshadowed by South Africa's apartheid policies. Through the 1970s and 1980s, F1 and its teams faced growing criticism, leading some teams to boycott the 1985 race in South Africa, which was then subject to international sanctions and boycott campaigns. As South Africa began dismantling its system of racial segregation, F1 returned for two more races at the Kyalami circuit in 1992 and 1993, the latter occurring less than a year before the country's first democratic elections, in which millions of Black South Africans voted. F1 also held a Moroccan Grand Prix in 1958, the only time Morocco was part of the world championship. A project was announced last year to build a track to bring F1 back to Morocco, but updates have been scarce.
Originally reported by local10.