Formula 1 announces return to Africa with grand prix in Rwanda in early 2030s
KIGALI, Rwanda (AP) — Formula 1 announced on Tuesday that Rwanda will host a race from “the early 2030s” when the series returns to Africa after about 40 years.
The African Grand Prix will have a 10-year contract and take place at a track in Bugesera, southeast of the capital Kigali. F1 said the purpose-built track will be ready “early in the next decade.”
Rwandan President Paul Kagame said at a launch event in Kigali that it was "a success and a milestone for the entire continent, especially for the African fans,” adding he hoped it could lead to more F1 events in Africa.
Racing in Africa will fulfil a long-held ambition for seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, the only Black driver in F1. The 41-year-old British driver has said he has been “fighting in the background” for years to have a race in Africa.
The last time F1 raced in Africa was the South African Grand Prix in 1993.
“Today is a landmark moment for Formula 1," F1 President and chief executive Stefano Domenicali said. "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.”
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