Formula 1’s long-awaited return to Africa has moved a major step closer, with the championship confirming a 10-year agreement to stage an African Grand Prix in Rwanda from the early 2030s.
The deal will bring F1 back to the continent for the first time since 1993. The inaugural race will take place once a purpose-built circuit in Bugesera is completed; the date and development timetable have yet to be confirmed.
The agreement follows years of work to establish the foundations for a sustainable event.
A new circuit beside Kigali’s international airport
The planned FIA Grade 1 circuit will be built in Bugesera, around 40 kilometres south of Kigali and next to the new Kigali International Airport. Its layout is expected to use the area’s elevation changes and natural landscape to create a challenging track with strong viewing opportunities.
Led by the Rwanda Development Board, the project forms part of a broader plan covering sport, tourism, infrastructure and commerce. The venue is also intended to host other major events outside race weekends.
F1 says more than 100 million fans already follow the championship across Africa, while almost 60% of fans in key sub-Saharan markets are under 35. Rwanda has hosted events including the UCI Road World Championships and the 2024 FIA General Assemblies and Awards Ceremony.
F1 president and CEO Stefano Domenicali called the agreement a landmark moment.
“Today is a landmark moment for Formula 1,” said Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO of F1.
“With Rwanda joining the calendar from the next decade, our sport will race in every inhabited continent, bringing the World Championship closer than ever to fans around the globe.
“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.
“I would like to thank His Excellency Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda, the Government of Rwanda, the Rwanda Development Board, FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem and everyone whose dedication and collaboration have made this possible.
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“This is about much more than hosting a Grand Prix. Together, we can create lasting economic and social benefits through tourism, investment, skills development and local business growth, ensuring the positive impact of this event is felt for generations.
“For our fans, this is an especially exciting moment. Africa is home to more than 100 million Formula 1 fans, and that number continues to grow rapidly.
“We are bringing the excitement, energy and drama of Formula 1 closer to millions of people who have waited a long time to see our sport return to the continent, and we look forward to writing an exciting new chapter together.”
Rwanda targets a legacy beyond race day
President Kagame said the agreement would create opportunities for the continent’s younger generations as well as deliver benefits for Rwanda.
“Today belongs to Africa. For more than three decades, the world’s premier motorsport championship has raced without this continent, and that changes with this agreement,” he said.
“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 10-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 project aims to attract investment, create jobs and develop local skills – not simply stage a Grand Prix. Rwanda’s race will put F1 on every inhabited continent. The opening date remains unconfirmed.
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