Formula One is heading to Rwanda in the early 2030s after a 10-year deal to host a Grand Prix was announced by the FIA. President and CEO Stefano Domenicali called it “one of the most significant days in the history of Formula 1”.
Known as the African Grand Prix, the race will be the first on the continent since the 1993 South African Grand Prix, and puts to bed speculation about a potential future race in Cape Town, for now.
Those at the helm of F1 spoke about their intention for the sport to return to Africa, with a protracted period of deliberation factoring in long-term viability as a crucial factor when looking for a host country.
Other than South Africa, which hosted F1 on 23 occasions in the past, Morocco is the only other country to host a World Championship Grand Prix, with the Ain-Daib road course making a one-off appearance in 1958.
“We are not looking at just Rwanda alone, we are looking at Rwanda in the context of a continent”
Rwanda has made an effort to host sporting events in recent years, and became the first African nation to host the week-long UCI Cycling World Championships. The capital city of Kigali also hosted the FIA Awards in 2024. It is part of the country’s plan to develop as a tourist, sports and entertainment destination, while representing the whole of Africa — as the ‘African Grand Prix’ race name displays.
Rwanda’s President, Paul Kagame said: “Formula 1 is part of the big picture of what Rwanda has to build, there are many things that Rwanda has undertaken to do and we have made progress as a country and as a people,”
“But also for Formula 1, we are not looking at just Rwanda alone, we are looking at Rwanda in the context of a continent, and we have ambitions to bring in other African brothers and sisters to participate.”
“It’s much easier if you call it an African Grand Prix”
“We want to make it bigger than just Rwanda,” explained Jean-Guy Afrika, CEO of the Rwanda Development Board. “We want to make it the moment when the sport came back to Africa and then never left.
“We felt that calling it ‘Kigali Grand Prix’ or ‘Rwanda Grand Prix’ would have felt slightly exclusive. You know, it's much easier if you call it an African Grand Prix, to approach partners in this wide effort.”
Circuit likely to be built in Bugesera
The next task for organisers is settling on a circuit design, and that honour will fall to Carsten Tilke of Tilke Engineering and ex-F1 racer Alex Wurz of Wurz Designs. Land in Bugesera, 25 miles south of the capital Kigali and close to where Kigali’s new international airport is due to open in early 2028, has been allocated for the circuit to be built on.
Wurz, who has been involved in the project for several years, explained: “One of the first decisions was what sort of circuits and what location should it be?
“There were discussions about a street circuit, relocating elsewhere, maybe occupying the old airport, and multiple locations came up. When we learned about the development in Bugesera, and then we actually saw it, and you see the hillsides and the lakes, I said, ‘guys, there's only one location this circuit should be, because it doesn't need us to design it, because the nature designed already the perfect topography.”
“It's two hills with the lake below, that means we can drive up and down the beautiful landscape and we want to live a picture-perfect African Rwanda landscape.”
The race is likely to be held in October or November to reduce the chance of being impacted by Rwanda’s rainy season from March to May and summer heat afterwards. F1 will also stick to its commitment to keep the calendar at no more than 24 races.
words: Mike Booth
pictures: Formula 1