Arya News - Rwanda has secured a 10-year deal to host F1 races at a purpose-built race track on the outskirts of capital Kigali.
Kigali, Rwanda – Formula One will return to Africa after a decades-long absence, with Rwanda scheduled to host a Grand Prix in the early 2030s.
Rwandan President Paul Kagame made the announcement during a ceremony attended by Formula One President and CEO Stefano Domenicali and FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem in Kigali on Tuesday.
“Rwanda has been working very hard towards hosting the African Grand Prix,” Kagame said. He referred to it a “partnership” that was long overdue but “a milestone for the continent”.
Rwandan President Paul Kagame [Laith Mushtaq/Al Jazeera] The East African nation has secured a 10-year deal to bring Formula One back to the continent for the first time since 1993, with the inaugural race projected for the early 2030s.
The Grand Prix will be held near Kigali, with former Austrian motorsport driver Alex Wurz’s racetrack design firm in charge of designing the new circuit.
It will be built near the Bugesera international airport, 40 kilometres (24.8 miles) south of Kigali.
The circuit will stretch over six kilometres, with 17 corners and an anti-clockwise layout. Designed to follow the natural terrain, it will feature an elevation gain of 197 metres per lap. The track will be developed to FIA Grade 1 standards and is expected to host other motorsport competitions and major events.
Kagame emphasised that “Rwanda is happy and excited to be part of a journey that will change how Africa is conceived by the world of sports”.
Qatar’s Ambassador to Rwanda, Mansour Ali Fahad Al-Shahwani Al-Hajri, left, attended the ceremony announcing the return of Formula One to Africa [Laith Mushtaq/Al Jazeera] ‘Missing piece’
Mohammed Ben Sulayem, president of the sport’s governing body, hailed Formula One’s return to Africa as “a moment of immense pride”, adding that it opened “a new chapter in the history of Formula One”.
Formula One chief Domenicali termed Africa “the missing piece” in the championship’s global footprint.
In December 2024, the Rwandan president announced the country’s bid to host a Formula One Grand Prix during an address to the FIA General Assembly in Kigali.
Lewis Hamilton, Formula One’s most successful driver with seven world titles and 106 Grand Prix wins, has been a leading proponent of the competition’s return to Africa.
At last week’s Singapore Grand Prix, Hamilton was asked about the prospects of an F1 race in Africa and reiterated his stance, saying: “We need to have a Grand Prix in Africa.”
“It is, for me, the most important continent, to be honest, the most beautiful continent,” the Ferrari driver said. “We’re on all the other continents but that one and there should be no reason for it.”
The British driver is known to have advocated for an F1 race in Africa for years and has publicly urged F1’s Domenicali to add a race in Africa.
“It is something I’ve been pushing for in the background, and Stefano has been amazing,” Hamilton said last week.
Lewis Hamilton has urged F1’s leadership to add a race in Africa [File: Jakub Porzycki/Reuters] “He’s flown to Africa so many times over the last couple of years, speaking to lots and lots of different people, so I hope that he has some news for me soon.”
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, the reigning world champion, also expressed his excitement.
“We want to race in a lot of different places in the world, so I really hope that it can be pushed through,” he said.
“I’ve been once to Rwanda. We have to wait to see if it’s all going to go through, but I think we’re all very excited if that happens.”