Rwanda to host F1's first race in Africa since 1993

Rwanda to host F1's first race in Africa since 1993

The full report

Formula 1 has confirmed that Rwanda will join its calendar, with a 10-year agreement for the African Grand Prix, starting in the early 2030s. The event 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, designed by the former F1 driver Alex Wurz, has been designed 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 hopes the race will provide an opportunity for the sport to expand its profile in Africa, a relatively unexplored market compared to Europe, Asia, and the Americas. The sport is likely to want to avoid holding the race in the main rain season of March to May.

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.' The country has recently invested heavily in hosting sporting events, including cycling's road world championships, cricket's Women's Challenge Trophy, the 2023 Fifa congress, and the Basketball Africa League.

The F1 chief executive, Stefano Domenicali, insisted the agreement represented a broader long-term commitment between F1 and Rwanda. 'Today is a landmark moment for Formula One,' he said. 'With Rwanda joining the calendar from the next decade, our sport will race in every inhabited continent.'