F1 have held 'serious' talks over staging controversial Grand Prix in country that nobody expected

Formula 1 chiefs held talks to hold a Grand Prix in a brand new location ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix - but there have since been significant developments.

In recent years, Grands Prix have been staged in a number of new countries, with races now being held in Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia and Qatar among others.

The FIA have also made serious attempts to successfully break into the American market with races in Miami, Austin and Las Vegas.

Attempts to establish a base in Asia have largely been successful, with popular races in China, Japan and Singapore offset slightly by a lack of interest in previous Grands Prix in India, South Korea and Vietnam.

But one continent that has been repeatedly ignored by F1 in the past three decades has been Africa.

No race has been held in Africa since the 1993 South African Grand Prix at the Kyalami circuit.

It was scrapped in later years due to rising costs, and despite calls from Lewis Hamilton for a race to return to the country, it doesn't appear to be forthcoming.

An alternative African country has emerged in recent years in the form of Rwanda, which held last year's FIA prize-giving ceremony in its capital of Kiwali.

Last August, Motorsport.com reported that FIA president Stefano Domenicali would hold 'serious talks' over staging a race in Rwanda, with negotiations having already commenced before the Monaco Grand Prix.

Those talks have continued into 2025, with the country's president Paul Kagame confirming at the aforementioned ceremony that Rwanda were planning to launch a bid to host the Grand Prix.

Image: Twitter/@FIA

But BBC Sport claimed in February that the chances of Rwanda hosting an F1 race had 'receded'.

There have been escalating tensions in the country and, amid an ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a Congolese government minister wrote a letter to the FIA.

In the letter, she urged the FIA to 'end negotiations and rule Rwanda out as a potential host'.

Rwanda-backed rebels attacked DR Congolese government forces in February, with UN figures indicating that around 2,900 people had been killed and approximately 700,000 others had been forced from their homes.

The Congolese government has accused Rwanda of supporting and arming M23 rebels and sending troops to support the militants, an accusation reportedly asserted by both the UN and the United States.

This has been denied by Rwanda, who claim they are acting in self-defence against the Congolese army and allied militias.

In April, the opposing countries agreed to a ceasefire while peace talks are ongoing.

According to Planet F1, the FIA are 'monitoring' developments.