Formula 1 is officially heading back to Africa in the 2030s, as The Race reports, through a brand-new grand prix in Rwanda. It is a massive shift for the calendar, locking in a 10-year agreement that will kick off early in the next decade, though neither F1 nor the FIA have pinned down an exact starting year just yet.
Instead of reviving an old classic, the championship is backing a new purpose-built circuit in Bugusera, situated roughly 40 kilometres south of the capital Kigali. Specific milestones and the date for the very first event remain under wraps for now, with announcements promised in due course. This marks the first time F1 will race on the continent since the 1993 South African Grand Prix at Kyalami.
Kyalami had spent years pushing for a return, even eyeing circuit modifications early last year to hit the required FIA Grade 1 status. But while those talks ultimately stalled, negotiations with Rwanda moved much faster. F1 praised the new venture for having the right foundations and the best partner to build a sustainable grand prix.
Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton has famously campaigned for an African race for years, once suggesting he would even delay his retirement just to take part. Unfortunately, with Rwanda's timeline stretching vaguely into the early 2030s, it looks highly unlikely that Hamilton—now 41—will still be on the grid, whereas a faster-moving Kyalami project might have offered a tighter window.
Rwanda has aggressively expanded its international sports footprint in recent times through various competitions and high-profile sponsorships. While human rights groups like Amnesty International have heavily criticized the Visit Rwanda campaign as a sportswashing effort to deflect from its record, F1 defends the move by pointing to a vision of establishing a legacy, boosting tourism, and creating local opportunities.
President of the Republic of Rwanda Paul Kagame celebrated the news by declaring that "today belongs to Africa". FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem and F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali echoed the sentiment, with Domenicali calling it a landmark moment. "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," Domenicali said.
