Formula 1 is returning to the African continent, where it hasn’t run a race since the early 1990s.Rwanda will be the new host of the race, which will be run on a newly built track with 17 turns spanning just under four miles.The new African Grand Prix is expected to kick off by the early 2030s.
The last F1 race held in Africa was on March 14, 1993, at Kyalami Circuit in South Africa, in swelteringly humid 90-degree weather. French racing hero Alain Prost won the day, besting his old teammate and rival Ayrton Senna and a promising young rookie named Michael Schumacher.
Since then, F1’s globe-trotting circus has had a massive gap in its calendar. About 20 percent of the world’s population lives in the African continent’s 54 countries, and for nearly four decades, they’ve gone without a race on their home turf.
Seven-time F1 champion Sir Lewis Hamilton has long pushed for Formula 1 to return to having an African Grand Prix on the schedule, and the expectation was that the obvious choice was probably a return to Kyalami. However, in a surprising move, it’s actually the relatively small nation of Rwanda that’s secured the winning bid.
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Surprising, because Rwanda doesn’t exactly have an F1-ready racing circuit ready to go. However, with the full backing of the Rwandan government onboard and a site already selected, rapid development is expected to have the track built and ready for teams and fans by the early 2030s.
Obviously, the knock-on effect of bringing the F1 spotlight on Rwanda could be huge for the local economy. The Rwandan government has been very active of late in using sports to promote tourism and investment, but a regular, decade-long place in the F1 calendar is a next-level commitment.
Obviously, there’s some controversy around the agreement. The Rwandan government has come under criticism from the likes of Amnesty International for its track record on human rights. Hosting sporting events is a great way to highlight success while sweeping concerns into the shadows.
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As for the track itself, it’s still early, but things sound promising. The designer is to be Alex Wurz, himself a former F1 racer and test driver, with his design team, WurzDesign. The site features significantly undulating terrain, and the team is set to make use of it with a flowing layout that’s inspired by elements of Spa-Francorchamps and Suzuka.
Plans are for 17 turns over just under four miles, along with the associated track infrastructure required to host a regular race. Bugesera, where the track will be built, is just 25 miles south of the Rwandan capital of Kigali, which will no doubt see a boom in tourism during the race.
As for South Africa, organizers there haven’t yet given up hope of hosting an African Grand Prix. After all, Italy alone has two F1 races each year, Imola and Monza, and it’s just one country. An entire continent could probably handle a second race.
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Brendan McAleer is a freelance writer and photographer based in North Vancouver, B.C., Canada. He grew up splitting his knuckles on British automobiles, came of age in the golden era of Japanese sport-compact performance, and began writing about cars and people in 2008. His particular interest is the intersection between humanity and machinery, whether it is the racing career of Walter Cronkite or Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki’s half-century obsession with the Citroën 2CV. He has taught both of his young daughters how to shift a manual transmission and is grateful for the excuse they provide to be perpetually buying Hot Wheels.