KIGALI — Rwanda has signed a 10-year deal with Formula 1 to host the African Grand Prix starting in the early 2030s, bringing the sport back to Africa for the first time since 1993. The race will be held on a new purpose-built circuit in Bugesera, 25 miles south of the capital Kigali and next to the city's new international airport.
The circuit was designed by former F1 driver Alex Wurz and will be built to work "in harmony with the natural landscape, using the area's elevation changes to create a unique and challenging racing experience while delivering exceptional viewing opportunities for fans," F1 said in a statement. The project is the result of "years of collaboration to ensure the right foundations, with the best partner, are in place to deliver a successful, sustainable and world-class grand prix for generations to come." The build will be overseen by WurzDesign alongside long-time F1 track architect Tilke and DAR, with the layout described as fast and flowing using Rwanda's hilly contours and significant elevation change.
Rwanda President Paul Kagame said: "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. 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." F1 president Stefano Domenicali called the contract "a landmark moment for F1" that will mean the sport is racing "on every inhabited continent," adding: "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."
F1 said it hopes the race will expand its profile in Africa, a relatively unexplored market compared to Europe, Asia and the Americas. It has not yet been established where the race will fit in the calendar, though the sport is likely to want to avoid the main rain season from March to May, with a shorter, less disruptive rain season from October to November also a factor. F1 is committed to keeping the season at no more than 24 races.
The race is likely to be controversial, with Rwanda previously accused of sportswashing, as has been the case with its sponsorship of Premier League soccer clubs Arsenal and Aston Villa. Rwanda's neighbor, the Democratic Republic of Congo, has filed a case against the country at the International Court of Justice, accusing it of breaching multiple international treaties covering genocide prevention, racial discrimination, women's rights and torture. A spokesperson for F1 said: "We have the opportunity to inspire and bring the passion of F1 to 100 million people across Africa and sport can be a positive force for good."
The only previous grand prix in Africa was in South Africa, held in East London, now known as KuGompo City, from 1960-66 before moving to Kyalami near Johannesburg from 1976-85, with Kyalami returning for two races in 1992 and 1993 as apartheid was coming to an end. South Africa has held talks with F1 in recent years about a return at venues including Kyalami and Cape Town, but a deal has not proved possible. The Rwanda agreement follows F1's historic 10-year Rwanda deal for the African Grand Prix that sets the framework for the early 2030s debut.