Despite racing across five continents, Formula 1 has not raced in Africa since 1993. Now, an agreement has been reached which will see Rwanda host a Grand Prix, set to start in the early 2030s.
(Images from BBC.com)
The African Grand Prix has a long history in motorsport, being held at the Kyalami Circuit in South Africa between the 1960s to early 1990s. However, Formula 1 stopped racing there due to the increasing boycotts and tensions over the Apartheid-regime in the 1980s. When the circuit came back onto grid, financial issues and bankruptcy caused the track to pull out of the sport.
In recent years, there has been increasing support for F1 to return to Africa, with drivers such as Sir Lewis Hamilton acting as an advocate for this. Rumours of racing in the continent have been circulating in previous years, yet no official announcement had been made until today (Tuesday 13th October 2026).
A long-term agreement has been made, with Rwanda set to hold Formula 1 races at the start of the next decade. A purpose built, FIA Grade 1 circuit in Bugesera will be the new host of the African Grand Prix. The track will be located approximately 40km from the countries capital city of Kigali and will be situated adjacent to Kigali International Airport.
The introduction of a race in Rwanda brings optimism for the country’s tourism, business, investment and entertainment sectors. With a reported 100 million motorsport fans across Africa, it is suspected that rehosting this historic Grand Prix will see an increase in viewership and motorsport attendance.
(Image from: Formula1.com)
Speaking on the 10-year agreement made, CEO of Formula 1 Stefano Domenicali stated “Today is a landmark moment for Formula 1”
“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.”
Sir Lewis Hamilton, who has frequently expressed his desire for a return of motorsport to Africa, spoke to SkySports ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix, saying “It is, for me, the most important continent, to be honest, the most beautiful continent. We’re on all the other continents but that one and there should be no reason for it.”
(Image from: Crash.net)
Hamilton has explained that he has was involved in “pushing” for Africa to make its way onto the calendar and has publicly encouraged for Domenicali to take the steps to make this happen.
The number of races in a season has increased over recent years. In 2024 and 2025, the F1 calander held 24 racing events across the year; this year would have been the same, if not for the cancellations earlier in the year. It appears that more circuits are wanting to be added year on year, now with Rwanda contributing to the list. However, famous tracks such as Singapore and Mexico’s contracts are currently only agreed until 2028.
The return of the African Grand Prix marks the return of a historic race that has been much awaited by fans. Yet, Rwanda offers a contemporary and fresh look at the direction of Formula 1 and motorsports in Africa.
Leave a Reply