F1 Adds Rwanda Grand Prix to Early 2030s Calendar

Formula 1 will return to Africa with a new Grand Prix in Rwanda from the early 2030s, as the sport and the Rwandan government announced a 10-year agreement on Tuesday for a purpose-built circuit in Bugesera near Kigali.

According to Formula 1, the race will be called the African Grand Prix presented by Visit Rwanda and will mark the championship's first event on the continent since the 1993 South African Grand Prix at Kyalami.

The Rwanda Development Board is leading the circuit project, which will be developed in a new complex about 40 kilometers outside Kigali. The site is planned to include hotels, homes and facilities intended to operate beyond the race weekend.

Rwandan President Paul Kagame said the agreement represents a broader investment connected to jobs, tourism, skills and business opportunities. The announcement event in Kigali was attended by Kagame, Formula 1 CEO and President Stefano Domenicali and FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem.

"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. 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." Kagame said.

The Rwanda Development Board has worked with WurzDesign, founded by former F1 driver Alexander Wurz, and the Tilke engineering group on the circuit development. Rwanda previously described the nearby airport project as a chance to build a wider urban development area.

"an opportunity to practically develop an entire new city" Jean-Guy Afrika said in a statement to The Athletic, referring to Rwanda's plans for the airport and surrounding development.

Afrika explained that the project was designed to connect the airport, entertainment facilities and a future racing venue as part of a larger development plan.

"So F1, the racetrack that we would have to build, the whole idea of the recreational facilities, because in F1 people come mostly for entertainment. It is one week. So the airport will be done and the negotiations with F1 will be to bring the racetrack." Afrika said.

Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton has repeatedly supported efforts to bring Formula 1 back to Africa. He previously called on the sport to expand to the continent while discussing future calendar plans.

"can’t be adding races in other locations and continue to ignore Africa, which the rest of the world takes from. No one gives anything to Africa" Hamilton said.

Hamilton also commented on the Rwanda announcement after reports indicated that a deal was close, describing Africa's importance to Formula 1's global presence.

"I’ve always said that we need to have a grand prix in Africa. It is, for me, the most important continent, to be honest, and the most beautiful continent." Hamilton said.

Formula 1 CEO and President Stefano Domenicali said the agreement would expand the championship's geographic reach and bring the sport to every inhabited continent.

"Today is a landmark moment for Formula One. 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 One'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.

I would like to thank His Excellency Paul Kagame, president of the Republic of Rwanda, the government of Rwanda, the Rwanda Development Board, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem and everyone whose dedication and collaboration have made this possible. 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 to come."

Domenicali said.

The first Rwanda race date has not been finalized, with Formula 1 stating only that the African Grand Prix will join the calendar in the early 2030s after construction of the circuit is completed.