Sportsupdated 1h ago3 min read
Formula 1 Signs 10-Year Deal With Rwanda To Host African Grand Prix In Early 2030s
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Rwanda signs a 10-year deal to host the African Grand Prix in the early 2030s. A new circuit will be built in Bugesera, near Kigali and Bugesera airport.
11 outlets told this the same way.
Rwanda lands F1 deal
Formula 1 signed a 10-year agreement with Rwanda to host the African Grand Prix in the early 2030s, with the first race tied to construction of a purpose-built circuit in Bugesera. President Paul Kagame attended the Tuesday news conference in Kigali, where Formula 1 CEO and president Stefano Domenicali said, “Today is a landmark moment for Formula 1.” FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem joined the announcement in Kigali, and the deal is designed to bring F1 back to Africa for the first time since the 1993 South African Grand Prix at the Kyalami circuit.
“‘Today is a landmark moment for Formula 1.”
The new track is planned near the Kigali International Airport, about 40 kilometers south of Kigali, and Formula 1 said further details on the inaugural race date and race weekend plans would be announced later. BBC coverage described the Bugesera circuit as “a new, purpose-built circuit in Bugesera, 25 miles south of the capital Kigali,” while also noting it would be the first F1 race in Africa since 1993.
Design, schedule, and voices
F1 said the Bugesera circuit will be developed to FIA Grade 1 standards, and the BBC reported the track is designed to work in harmony with the natural landscape. BBC coverage added that the circuit was designed by the former F1 driver Alex Wurz, and it said the track would use elevation changes to create a unique and challenging racing experience. F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali framed the return as a global reach, telling the BBC that Rwanda joining the calendar from the next decade would mean the sport “race in every inhabited continent.”
Lewis Hamilton said he has “always said that we need to have a Grand Prix in Africa,” and he described the continent as “the most important continent and the most beautiful continent.” The BBC also said the race is likely to be controversial as Rwanda has previously been accused of sportswashing, while ESPN reported the precise starting date was not specified and depended on the circuit being completed “early in the next decade.”
What comes next
Rwanda’s government and Formula 1 positioned the project as more than a single event, with Kagame saying the Bugesera circuit alongside the new international airport will bring “jobs, skills, tourism and new business to our country and our region for decades to come.” F1 also said the circuit would be used for other international motorsport events during the rest of the year, and ESPN reported the track would be built adjacent to the new Kigali International Airport. The BBC reported that Rwanda’s race could face opposition from human rights groups accusing Rwanda of sportswashing, and it said the Democratic Republic of Congo has filed a case at the International Court of Justice.
Motorsport.com described the Bugesera track as a 6km, 17-corner anti-clockwise challenge with “no less than a 197m change in elevation per lap,” and it said the first edition could be held as early as 2030 depending on when construction is completed. Formula 1’s announcement also left the calendar slot open, with the BBC saying it had not yet been established where the race may best fit into the schedule during the year and with F1 adding that details would come later.