Formula 1 is officially returning to the African continent after a nearly 40-year hiatus, following a milestone agreement announced in Kigali on Tuesday. The sport’s leadership has finalized a 10-year contract to host an African Grand Prix, a project that F1 president Stefano Domenicali has officially labeled a landmark achievement. But the sport’s bosses already recognised the importance of the project. That’s because the east-central African country has managed to put together a single plan with the requisite financial backing and ambition to make the project work.
This deal concludes nearly a decade of strategic efforts by Liberty Media, which has pursued the ambition of staging a race in Africa since acquiring the sport at the beginning of 2017. While Lewis Hamilton has been a vocal proponent for bringing the championship back to the region, F1 executives had already prioritized the initiative as a key development goal. Which has had an ambition to hold a race in Africa since it bought the sport at the start of 2017, and this deal marks the end of nearly 10 years of effort by F1’s owners Liberty Media.
Rwanda secured the contract by presenting a singular, comprehensive plan, effectively bypassing the difficulties that have stalled proposals from other nations. Morocco notably struggled to secure the necessary financing, while South Africa faced challenges with four competing projects dispersed across different regions, including Cape Town. For F1, managing these fragmented bids alongside an already dense global schedule proved unfeasible. Two in Cape Town, morocco never found the finances and South Africa has up to four separate projects ongoing with different promoters in three different locations.
Development is currently underway for a brand-new circuit located in Bugesera, roughly 25 miles south of Kigali. This track serves as the centerpiece of a larger infrastructural project adjacent to a new international airport currently under construction. The site is intended to house a multifaceted hub featuring entertainment, residential areas, hotels, spas, sports science facilities, and an innovation center.
Although the site is currently classified as a greenfield, internal sources indicate the development is on track to be completed in time for a debut in the early 2030s. The project is expected to invite some scrutiny, as critics have previously raised concerns regarding allegations of sportswashing in Rwanda.
During the announcement, which featured Rwandan President Paul Kagame and FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, Domenicali expressed pride in the partnership. He emphasized that the deal reflects Rwanda’s vision as a nation defined by resilience, transformation from its past, and a commitment to international investment and innovation.
