Africa appears to be inching closer to regaining a spot on the Formula 1 calendar, with two locations now emerging as clear frontrunners.
Currently, Africa is the only continent without a presence in the world championship, and both South Africa's Kyalami Circuit and Rwanda are pushing to change that.
Kyalami, located near Johannesburg, last hosted the South African Grand Prix in 1993. The Rwandan project, meanwhile, seems to have significant backing, with F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali and the FIA showing interest. This is reflected in the FIA's choice of Rwanda as the location for the end-of-season prize gala this year.
F1 champion Lewis Hamilton expressed his excitement about the prospect of racing in Africa, sharing his hope that it would happen during his career. "Potentially Rwanda is on the cards, which is amazing," he said ahead of the Brazilian GP. "I just hope it comes in before I'm gone. That's my biggest dream - to make sure I get to race there before I retire."
Meanwhile, Kyalami officials revealed that South Africa is making strides to bring F1 back to the iconic circuit. They confirmed that South African sports minister Gayton McKenzie recently met with Domenicali, and also had an "extremely good meeting" with FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem during the Azerbaijan GP weekend.
Officials from Kyalami issued a statement confirming their commitment to achieving the necessary FIA Grade 1 status, stating, "Whilst negotiations with various players, including Liberty Media, continue tirelessly behind the scenes, South Africans can rest assured that there will be a suitable home for the return of Formula 1."
A Kyalami spokesperson also told IOL that the track could potentially be ready to host Formula 1 as soon as 2027, "or possibly even a late 2026 entry." body check tags ::
