Formula 1 will return to Africa for the first time since 1993 after agreeing to a 10-year deal with Rwanda, an East African country, with a race expected to join the calendar in the early 2030s.
The African Grand Prix will be held at a planned circuit in Bugesera, around 40 kilometres south of Kigali, the capital of Rwanda. The venue will need to meet FIA Grade 1 standards, the highest circuit certification required to host a Formula 1 race.
The agreement marks a step towards ending Africa’s more than three-decade absence from the championship. The continent last hosted a race at the South African Grand Prix at Kyalami in 1993. However, Rwanda’s event remains several years away, with the circuit and supporting infrastructure still to be developed.
NEW CIRCUIT IN BUGESERA
The proposed circuit will be built near Rwanda’s new international airport in Bugesera. The venue is intended to host Formula 1 alongside other motorsport events, although construction and preparations will need to be completed before it can stage a Grand Prix.
The early-2030s target gives Rwanda time to deliver the project, but the announcement does not mean the race is imminent. The circuit must meet the FIA’s requirements before it can be included on the calendar.
Formula 1 president and CEO Stefano Domenicali said the agreement was an important step towards bringing the championship back to Africa. F1 has previously pointed to its following on the continent as a reason to pursue a race there.
Rwanda’s deal also comes as the championship continues to expand its international calendar. Adding a race in the country would give F1 a new venue in a region it has not visited during the modern era of the sport.
AFRICA’S RETURN
Rwanda has been pursuing a place on the F1 calendar, while South Africa has also sought to bring a race back to the continent. Kyalami, which last hosted F1 in 1993, has been discussed as a possible venue, but Rwanda’s agreement provides a separate route towards an African return.
Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton has repeatedly called for Formula 1 to race in Africa. He has argued that the championship should have a presence on a continent where it has been absent for more than 30 years.
Rwanda has hosted several major international sporting events in recent years, including the 2023 FIFA Congress and the 2024 FIA Prize Giving ceremony. It also hosted the UCI Road World Championships in 2025.
The 10-year agreement sets out a long-term commitment to bringing Formula 1 to Rwanda, but delivering the race will depend on completing the circuit and meeting the sport’s technical requirements. With the event not expected until the early 2030s, Africa’s return to the F1 calendar remains a longer-term prospect.
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