F1 Signs 10-Year Deal for Rwanda Grand Prix From the Early 2030s, First African Race Since 1993

Formula 1 will return to Africa for the first time in more than three decades. The sport announced Tuesday, Oct. 13, a 10-year agreement with Rwanda to host the Formula 1 African Grand Prix, presented by Visit Rwanda, starting in the early 2030s.

The last F1 race on the continent was the 1993 South African Grand Prix at Kyalami.

What was announced

The race will run on a new circuit in Bugesera, about 40 kilometres (25 miles) south of Kigali and next to the city's new international airport. F1 said the first race will happen once the track is finished, which it expects "early in the next decade."

The circuit is being designed by WurzDesign, run by former F1 driver Alexander Wurz. It is to be built to FIA Grade 1 standards, the top homologation level.

The track is part of a wider sports, tourism, infrastructure and commercial development led by the Rwanda Development Board. F1 said the venue is meant to operate year-round for motorsport, conferences and entertainment.

The announcement came at a launch event in Kigali attended by Rwandan President Paul Kagame, F1 president and CEO Stefano Domenicali and FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem.

What the principals said

Domenicali called it "a landmark moment for Formula 1." With Rwanda on the calendar, he said, the sport will "race in every inhabited continent."

Kagame said the circuit and the new airport "will bring jobs, skills, tourism and new business to our country and our region for decades to come." He added that the aim "was never a single race weekend, but a lasting benefit for our people." He also said he hoped the deal could lead to more F1 events in Africa.

Ben Sulayem called it "an historic moment for the sport."

F1 pointed to a fan base it puts at more than 100 million across Africa, with almost 60% of fans in key Sub-Saharan markets under 35. Those are F1's own figures.

Hamilton's long push

Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton has spent years lobbying for an African race. "For the past six or seven years I've been fighting in the background to get a grand prix," he said earlier this year.

Hamilton is 41. Reporting from the Kigali announcement suggests he is unlikely to still be racing when the Rwanda event arrives.

South Africa, which hosted F1 at East London from 1962 to 1966 and at Kyalami from 1967, was also in the running. F1 chose the Rwandan proposal and its long-term commitment.

Rwanda formally announced its bid in December 2024, when it hosted an FIA gathering and awards ceremony. The country has since built a record of hosting large events, including the UCI Road World Championships, the 2023 FIFA Congress and the Basketball Africa League.

The human rights objection

Rwanda's government-backed sports marketing has drawn criticism before. Amnesty International attacked the Rwanda tourist board's sponsorship of Aston Villa, saying: "The country is prolific in arbitrary detention, torture and the repression of free speech."

Human rights groups have accused Rwanda of sportswashing, meaning using high-profile sport to improve its image abroad. The BBC's F1 correspondent noted the race is likely to draw the same opposition.

The sources show no Rwandan government statement answering those accusations specifically. Kagame's stated case is economic: jobs, skills, tourism and investment.

Open questions

The race is a decade-long commitment by a government-backed project, and neither F1 nor Rwanda has published a hosting fee or a construction budget. The Rwanda Development Board leads the wider development, and the Government of Rwanda backs the race.

No date has been set for the first race, and F1 has said only "early 2030s." The calendar slot is also undecided. F1 has committed to a maximum of 24 races a season, so an African round means another venue would have to give way or the schedule would have to be reshuffled.

The BBC reported that F1 is likely to avoid Rwanda's main rain season, March to May. There is also a shorter, less disruptive rainy period in October and November.

The next milestones are construction of the Bugesera circuit and its FIA Grade 1 certification. Only after those will F1 be able to name a date for the first African Grand Prix.