Formula 1 Signs 10-Year Rwanda Deal for African Grand Prix Starting in Early 2030s

Formula 1 announced Tuesday a 10-year agreement with Rwanda to host the African Grand Prix, bringing the sport back to Africa for the first time since 1993. The race, billed as the “Formula 1 African Grand Prix, presented by Visit Rwanda,” is set to join the calendar in the early 2030s.

The announcement answers years of pressure from drivers and fans to restore Africa’s place on the schedule. Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton has long called for a return to the continent. Speaking at the recent Singapore Grand Prix, the 41-year-old Hamilton said: “I’ve always said that we need to have a Grand Prix in Africa. For me, it’s the most important continent and the most beautiful continent. We’re on all the other continents but that one, and there should be no reason for it.”

A new circuit near Kigali

The race will take place at a new purpose-built track in Bugesera, about 25 miles south of Rwanda’s capital, Kigali, near the developing Kigali International Airport. The circuit will be built to meet FIA Grade 1 standards, the level required to host Formula 1 races.

Formula 1 has said the circuit will “work in harmony with the natural landscape, using the area’s elevation changes to create a unique and challenging racing experience.” The layout is being planned by WurzDesign, a company led by former driver Alex Wurz, and the sport’s drivers will be consulted on the final design. A year for the first race has not yet been confirmed.

The agreement marks the return of Formula 1 to Africa nearly four decades after the continent’s last race, the 1993 South African Grand Prix at Kyalami. Rwanda will become the third African country to host a Formula 1 World Championship race, following Morocco and South Africa.

Why Rwanda, and why now

F1 president and chief executive officer Stefano Domenicali called the deal a landmark moment for the sport. “With Rwanda joining the calendar from the next decade, our sport will race in every inhabited continent, bringing the world championship closer than ever to fans around the globe,” Domenicali said.

“Africa has always been part of Formula One’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,” he said. “For our fans, this is an especially exciting moment. Africa is home to more than 100 million Formula One fans, and that number continues to grow rapidly.”

Rwandan President Paul Kagame celebrated the announcement, saying the partnership would create jobs, develop skills and boost tourism and business opportunities. “Today belongs to Africa,” Kagame said. He said the goal was to deliver lasting benefits beyond a single race weekend and to give young Africans a way into the sport as engineers, technicians, entrepreneurs and, one day, drivers.

The circuit is part of a broader sports, tourism and infrastructure development project led by the Rwanda Development Board. Beyond race weekends, the venue is intended to host other motorsport events, conferences and entertainment, and to attract investment and support local businesses.

Reporting based on coverage by the Leigh Journal, Latestly, and Qazaqstan Inform.