Rwanda to Host F1’s Return to Africa with 10-Year Agreement Secured

Formula 1 will officially return to Africa as part of a 10-year agreement with Rwanda. The Formula 1 African Grand Prix, presented by Visit Rwanda, is set to join the calendar in the early 2030s, marking the first Grand Prix on the African continent since the 1993 South African Grand Prix in Kyalami.

The long-term agreement ensures that the first race in the country will take place once the new purpose-built circuit in Bugesera has been completed, which is expected to be early in the next decade, according to a press release.
Developed to FIA Grade 1 standards, the track is located approximately 40 kilometers south of the capital city Kigali, and adjacent to the new Kigali International Airport — a project scheduled for completion by 2028.

The circuit, designed by former Formula 1 driver Alex Wurz, will incorporate the natural landscape and create a challenging racing experience through unique elevation changes.

Beyond race weekends, the venue is set to serve as a year-round destination capable of hosting international motorsport, major events, conferences and entertainment, driving long-term economic growth and investment across the region.

Why Formula 1 is Heading to Rwanda

The announcement is a significant one for Formula 1, Rwanda, and the African continent as a whole.

Formula 1 is seeking to expand its global reach and connect with new audiences around the world, with Africa identified as a major growth opportunity for the sport. The motorsport championship already has an estimated 100 million-plus fans in Africa, and almost 60 percent of fans in key Sub-Saharan markets are under the age of 35.

For Rwanda, securing a Formula 1 Grand Prix is part of a wider sports, tourism, infrastructure and commercial development project led by the Rwanda Development Board.

In recent years, the country has hosted a range of international sports events, including the UCI Road World Championships, the ICC Women’s Challenge Trophy, the 2023 FIFA Congress, the Basketball Africa League, the 2024 FIA General Assemblies and the FIA Awards Ceremony.

In addition, Formula 1’s debut in Africa is seen as an opportunity to create a long-term legacy by supporting tourism, attracting investment, developing local talent and creating new opportunities for communities and businesses.
Formula 1 confirmed that “a lot of” interested parties had wanted to bring the sport back to Africa, but Rwanda eventually won the bid after “extensive” conversations. It is believed that Kyalami and Cape Town were among those bidding to bring Formula 1 back to Africa and South Africa.

Further details around the inaugural race date, circuit development milestones and race weekend plans will be announced at a later date.

Formula 1 has 23 races in its calendar this season, but it has confirmed that it does not want to expand the schedule beyond 24 races in the future. The most likely race weekend date in Rwanda is in the shorter, less disruptive rain season between October and November.

Reaction

“Today belongs to Africa. For more than three decades, the world’s premier motorsport championship has raced without this continent, and that changes with this agreement,” said His Excellency Paul Kagame, president of the Republic of Rwanda. “Rwanda is proud to host the Formula 1 African Grand Prix, and to share this moment with more than 100 million fans across Africa, many of them young people who deserve to see the sport at home and to see themselves in it: as engineers, technicians, entrepreneurs and, one day, drivers.

“This 10-year partnership is also an investment in Rwanda’s future. The circuit in Bugesera, alongside the new international airport, will bring jobs, skills, tourism and new business to our country and our region for decades to come, because our aim was never a single race weekend, but a lasting benefit for our people.

“I thank [Formula 1 President and CEO] Stefano Domenicali, Formula 1 and FIA President] Mohammed Ben Sulayem for the work that has brought us to this day. We look forward to welcoming the world to Rwanda for the African Grand Prix.”
Ben Sulayem called the return of F1 to the continent “a historic moment for our sport and an important step in the continued global growth of motorsport. Rwanda has demonstrated a strong commitment to delivering a world-class event, and the FIA will work closely with FOM and our partners as this new circuit is developed to the highest international standards.

“This agreement is also about creating a lasting legacy, inspiring new generations, developing talent and opening new opportunities for motorsport across Africa and beyond. Increasing accessibility is at the heart of the FIA’s mission, and we have a responsibility to ensure that our sport continues to grow at every level, reaching new communities and creating opportunities for people in every corner of the world.

“I congratulate President Paul Kagame on this landmark moment for his nation and share my thanks with Stefano Domenicali and all those whose collaboration has made this exciting new chapter possible.”

“Today is a landmark moment for Formula 1,” said Domenicali. “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. Africa has always been part of Formula 1’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.

“This is about much more than hosting a Grand Prix. Together, we can create lasting economic and social benefits through tourism, investment, skills development and local business growth, ensuring the positive impact of this event is felt for generations. For our fans, this is an especially exciting moment. Africa is home to more than 100 million Formula 1 fans, and that number continues to grow rapidly.

“We are bringing the excitement, energy and drama of Formula 1 closer to millions of people who have waited a long time to see our sport return to the continent, and we look forward to writing an exciting new chapter together.”
“I’ve always said that we need to have a Grand Prix in Africa,” said seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton ahead of the official announcement. “It is, for me, the most important continent and the most beautiful continent. We’re on all the other continents but not that one, and there should be no reason for it.”