F1 makes historic announcement as 33-year wait finally comes to an end

F1 has announced its return to Africa with the Rwanda-held African Grand Prix, set to be hosted in Bugesera in the ‘early 2030s.’

Formula 1 has signed a 10-year deal with Rwanda for the Grand Prix event, and a new track has been constructed in Bugesera, which lies on the outskirts of capital Kigali, to host the race.

It will be known as the African Grand Prix, presented by Visit Rwanda, but an exact year has not yet been determined in the 2030s decade for its first staging.

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F1 announce African Grand Prix to be first held in the 2030s

Prior to this announcement, Africa was the only continent to not feature on F1’s schedule, having expanded to Asia and North America in recent decades.

The race was announced on Tuesday at an event in Kigali, with FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali and Rwandan president Paul Kagame in attendance.

If the race’s initial staging happens in 2030, it would mark 37 years since a Formula 1 event was last held in Africa, with Kyalami’s final South African Grand Prix having been hosted in 1993.

Despite South Africa’s persistent interest in bringing F1 back to Kyalami, the Rwanda Development Board has won out in stronger, more advanced talks to host the African Grand Prix.

The Board is leading the project, which has ambitions to become a year-long racing destination for Kigali’s tourists.

A new complex approximately 40km outside of the capital will include new homes, hotels, and the track. The Board’s CEO, Jean-Guy Afrika, revealed last December that the project is “an opportunity to practically develop an entire new city” that included the F1 track.

Rwanda’s president Kagame said: “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 concluded.

Elsewhere, F1 CEO and president Domenicali, whose staggering 2025 earnings were recently filed, said: “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.

“For our fans, this is an especially exciting moment. Africa is home to more than 100 million Formula One fans, and that number continues to grow rapidly. We are bringing the excitement, energy and drama of Formula One 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.”

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Early reactions from Africa to F1 announcement of new Grand Prix

As rumours initially surfaced regarding the Rwanda-held Grand Prix, early reactions from the African continent followed.

One social media user referred to Formula 1’s return as “sport washing,” while another questioned the benefits for Rwanda’s “common man.”

“Concentrate resources on things that will positively affect the people. F1 is a billionaire's game, and 99% of Rwandans do not even own a car, much less give a damn about car racing,” wrote the user.

“It does absolutely NOTHING for the common man. Invest that money in vocational schools or other things communities need to become self-sufficient. Anything would be better than this.”

While many anticipated an F1 return to Africa to come in Kigali, one user from the region appeared happy that South Africa would not host the new Grand Prix.

“I'm happy we aren't hosting it. I've lived in cities with F1 before and it was just a hangout for the rich. The main attraction for the middle class was the concerts,” wrote the user.

“It's a niche sport, tickets are expensive and hosting is astronomical. The economic benefits are small, since you don't get [to] earn much from the 5k fans willing to travel. [And] the PR isn't significant.”

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