BREAKING: F1 Confirms 10-Year Rwanda Deal as Africa Ends 33-Year Wait

Formula 1 is set to return to Africa for the first time since 1993 after confirming a 10-year agreement to stage the African Grand Prix in Rwanda from the early 2030s, ending more than three decades of absence from the continent.

Debbie Izamoje Okolie, CEO of Brila Media, was among select delegates at a private, closed-door strategic engagement in Kigali, Rwanda, where the country’s five-year sports strategy was presented.

The announcement was made on Tuesday, with Formula 1 confirming its plans alongside Rwandan President, Paul Kagame as the East African nation prepares to bring the world's premier motorsport championship back to Africa.

The agreement represents a major development after years of speculation about F1's return to the continent, with Rwanda emerging as the destination for a new race following discussions involving the sport's leadership and the country's government.

However, the exact year the race will debut has not been announced.

Its arrival will depend on the construction of a purpose-built circuit in Bugesera, approximately 40 kilometres south of Rwanda's capital, Kigali.

The circuit is expected to be completed in the early part of the next decade and will be built adjacent to the new Kigali International Airport.

It must also meet the FIA Grade 1 standards required to host Formula 1 races.

The return will end Africa's lengthy absence from the championship, with the last race on the continent held at South Africa's Kyalami circuit near Johannesburg in 1993.

Africa's 33-Year Wait Nears Its End

Formula 1 last raced in Africa at the 1993 South African Grand Prix at Kyalami, near Johannesburg.

Since then, the championship has expanded into several international markets, but Africa has remained absent from its race calendar.

Rwanda's 10-year agreement marks a major step towards ending that absence, with the planned circuit in Bugesera set to provide a new venue for the championship.

Rwanda Targets Long-Term Formula 1 Benefits

Rwandan President Paul Kagame described the agreement as a significant moment for the entire continent, highlighting the opportunity to bring Formula 1 closer to African fans while creating economic opportunities for Rwanda.

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."

"This ten-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."

The Rwandan leader emphasized the country's ambition to use the race as more than a sporting attraction, with the project expected to support employment, tourism, infrastructure development and technical skills.

The 10-year agreement also gives Rwanda a long-term framework for establishing itself as a destination for international motorsport, although the project must first progress through the required construction and circuit-development stages.

New Circuit to Use Rwanda's Natural Landscape

Formula 1 has outlined plans for a purpose-built circuit designed to combine the surrounding landscape with the technical demands of modern Grand Prix racing.

In its announcement, the championship said the circuit would

"will be 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."

The venue will be constructed in Bugesera, near the new Kigali International Airport, approximately 40 kilometres from Kigali.

Beyond Formula 1, the circuit is expected to host other international motorsport events throughout the year, potentially allowing Rwanda to maintain activity at the venue outside the Grand Prix weekend.

The project is also expected to strengthen the connection between the country's transport infrastructure, tourism industry and international sporting ambitions.

However, the circuit's construction and compliance with FIA Grade 1 requirements remain crucial steps before the race can be added to the championship calendar.

Formula 1 chief executive, Stefano Domenicali welcomed the agreement, describing it as a major milestone in the championship's global expansion.

Domenicali has previously spoken about his ambition to bring Formula 1 back to Africa, with Rwanda now set to become the championship's next new destination once the necessary preparations are completed.

The agreement also reflects F1's continuing efforts to expand its international reach while securing long-term partnerships with host countries.

Hamilton, Verstappen and Russell Back F1's Return to Africa

The announcement follows calls from several leading drivers for Formula 1 to return to Africa.

Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton has repeatedly advocated for a Grand Prix on the continent, arguing that Africa's absence from the calendar should be addressed.

Speaking ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix, Hamilton said:

"I haven't really got any news for you. I saw people posting online, but I've always said that we need to have a Grand Prix in Africa."

"t is, for me, the most important continent and the most beautiful continent. We're on all the other continents but that one and there should be no reason for it."

"It's something I've been pushing for in the background and Stefano's been amazing."

"He's flown to Africa so many times over the last couple of years speaking to lots of different people and so I hope he has some news for me soon."

Max Verstappen also welcomed the possibility of racing in Rwanda. The four-time world champion visited the country in 2024 to collect his F1 drivers' title at an awards ceremony.

Verstappen said:

"For sure, if that's possible that would be great,"

"We want to race in a lot of different places in the world so yeah I really hope it can be pushed through."

"I've been to Rwanda once, of course, but let's wait, let's see if it all goes through. I think we are all very excited if that would happen."

Mercedes driver George Russell also backed the prospect of an African Grand Prix, saying the continent deserved a place on the championship's global schedule.

Russell said:

"I would be very excited if these rumors were to come true, I was in Africa earlier this year and I really, really loved my time there."

"Formula 1 is a worldwide sport."

"Africa is the only continent we don't race on and it's about time we had a race there."

These comments from the drivers came amid growing speculation about Rwanda's plans, before the official announcement confirmed the 10-year agreement.

South Africa Still Wants F1 Return Despite Rwanda Deal

Rwanda's agreement comes after South Africa's continued efforts to bring Formula 1 back to the country where the championship last raced on African soil.

The Kyalami circuit and Cape Town have previously been considered potential venues for a Grand Prix, with South Africa seeking to re-establish its place on the calendar.

Kyalami was initially regarded as a leading candidate during discussions about the championship's return, but financial considerations proved a significant obstacle in negotiations over a long-term agreement.

South African sports minister Gayton McKenzie appeared to acknowledge Rwanda's progress in a post on X before the official announcement.

"We are happy for Rwanda's 2030 F1," he wrote.

"They have worked on it longer than SA and deserve it."

Despite congratulating Rwanda, McKenzie insisted that South Africa remained determined to secure its own race, arguing that the continent should not be restricted to a single Grand Prix.

"Remember though that one country, Italy, has had two F1s a year, and some react like a continent of 55 countries can only get one," he wrote.

"SA will get F1, even before 2030."

South Africa's position is that Rwanda's entry should not necessarily end its own ambitions, particularly given the championship's history at Kyalami.

However, Rwanda's confirmed agreement gives the East African country a significant advantage in the race to bring Formula 1 back to the continent.

When Will the African Grand Prix Take Place?

Although the 10-year deal has been confirmed, Formula 1 has not announced a precise starting date for the Rwandan Grand Prix.

The race is expected to join the calendar in the early 2030s, subject to the completion of the purpose-built circuit and the necessary preparations.

The timing is also significant because Formula 1's current calendar is limited to a maximum of 24 races under the commercial agreements signed by the championship's 11 teams.

Portugal's Portimão circuit and Türkiye's Istanbul venue are scheduled to return to the calendar next year, while Madrid hosted the Spanish Grand Prix at a new circuit on the outskirts of the city this year.

The demand for additional races means Rwanda's arrival will require careful calendar planning, particularly as existing venues compete for limited spaces.

Formula 1 has not yet explained whether Rwanda's race will replace an existing event or form part of a future calendar expansion.

The project represents an opportunity to attract international visitors, create jobs and develop motorsport infrastructure for Rwanda.

For Africa, it offers the prospect of watching Formula 1 race on the continent after more than three decades.

The challenge now is to turn that commitment into a completed circuit and a place on the Formula 1 calendar in the early 2030s.