Lewis Hamilton has said the African continent needs to “unite and take [Africa] back from the French, the Spanish, the Portuguese and the British”.
The British seven-time world champion, who described himself as “half-African”, vowed to carry on racing in Formula One until there is a grand prix in Africa.
Hamilton, 41, speaking ahead of the 2026 season opener in Melbourne, was asked by a South African journalist about a possible return of F1 to the continent and in which country he would most like a race to be held.
The 1993 South African Grand Prix at Kyalami was the last grand prix in Africa. Hamilton said he had been “fighting for the past six, seven years” to get a race in Africa back on the calendar.
“There’s one on every other continent, why not Africa?” the Ferrari driver said. “I know they [F1] are really trying. I think they’ve been to quite a few different countries.
“The ones that I’ve enjoyed the most: I loved Kenya. [But] I don’t think we’re going to have a grand prix in Kenya. Rwanda was spectacular. Two places I felt like I could live. South Africa is stunning. I think those are the ones I think would be good places for us to potentially go to.”