Lewis Hamilton has quipped that he will be “forced to have to stay a lot longer” in Formula 1 following the announcement of an African Grand Prix.
Hamilton has been among the biggest advocates for Formula 1 to return to Africa for the first time since 1993, and last week the championship announced a comeback to the continent.
The new African Grand Prix will take place at a permanent facility in Bugesera, close to Rwanda’s capital city Kigali, with a 10-year deal to commence “in the early 2030s.”
Hamilton will be 45 by 2030—the earliest possible year for Rwanda’s first prospective event—and contesting a grand prix in Africa remains an ambition for the seven-time champion.
During an answer when asked about likely 2026 champion Kimi Antonelli, Hamilton said: “I’m looking forward to racing with him longer, and we’ll see. I mean, I’m now forced to stay a lot longer because we have a race in Africa, and that’s been my dream, to be able to race in Africa. So, yes, I have to keep fighting to try and stay fit. If I can still punch out good results over the next year, we’ll keep it going!”
Expanding further on Formula 1’s return to Africa, Hamilton said: “I think for me, it’s a place that deserves to have a Grand Prix.
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Construction of the new Bugesera International Airport in Rwanda.
“It’s about more than just one country. It’s about the continent itself, and there are so many beautiful countries within it. The people are so lovely. The culture is so rich, and I think it’s important that we get to show that to the world.
“We get to do that with our sport. We get to go to all these different countries, and people see some of these countries they didn’t really know too much about. All of a sudden, it becomes something that’s on the screen, and kids are talking about it. They go to school talking about it. So, I’m really, really hopeful for that Grand Prix.”
Hamilton hinted at acknowledging the political issues behind the event but expanded on the positive aspect of bringing Formula 1 back to the continent.
“Of course, I don’t get to choose where we go,” he said. “Naturally, there are problems all over the world today, so I’ve seen many of the stories. But I think we really have to approach it with humility. There’s a lot that we don’t know.
“Growing up in England, they never taught us anything about Africa. It needs to be on the curriculum. A lot of the problems they have there are still results of colonialism and the West intervening.
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Mohammed ben Sulayem, FIA President (second from left), Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda (second from right), and Stefano Domenicali, CEO of the Formula One Group (right) talk on stage with Naomi Schiff after announcing a Formula 1 race to be hosted in Rwanda from the 2030s during a Formula 1 announcement.
“But if you go and see the people, you see so many designs that are out there today from top brands that come from Africa. It’s got all the richest resources. I really hope, and I still have hope, that Africa unites.
“Going there doesn’t mean that you neglect the things that are happening there. So hopefully many people start to educate themselves a little bit more about what is happening there and what has happened there for hundreds of years. I hope that does spark the conversation.
“And then I guess I’ll finish it off with this: I think we need to make sure we’re pushing to free Congo, free Sudan, free Syria, free Palestine. I think there’s a lot of peace that I’m hoping we get to at some stage.”
U.K.-based Phillip Horton started covering Grands Prix while still at university and swiftly deemed that writing about Formula 1 and the behind-the-scenes machinations was much more engaging than reading centuries-old novels. Degree gained, he went on to cover the sport full-time from 2014 and is as intrigued and excited by the destinations Formula 1 visits during its lengthy annual world tour as the racing itself. Phillip joined Autoweek in 2021 and while he has just about learned to spell in American English he has yet to find anywhere in America that makes a proper cup of tea.