The current breakdown of F1 Grands Prix by continent is pretty astonishing for its noticeable gap. Nine races are held in Asia, eight in Europe, five in North America, and one each in South America and Australia. Africa remains the only habitable continent on the planet to not host an F1 race in over 30 years. The sport used to travel to South Africa for a race at the famed Kyalami circuit beginning in 1967, but the country didn’t have enough money to cough up for F1 to keep coming back after 1993. Recent conversations between the president of the Republic of Rwanda Paul Kagame and F1 boss Stefano Domenicali could lead to the first African GP in decades.
The consensus seems to be that Rwanda could host a race in the capital city of Kigali.
“I’m happy to formally announce that Rwanda is bidding to bring the thrill of racing back to Africa by hosting a Formula 1 grand prix,” Kagame said during his opening address. “A big thank you to Stefano Domenicali and the entire team at Formula 1 for the good progress in our discussions so far. I sure you that we are approaching this opportunity with the seriousness and commitment which it deserves. Together we will build something we can all be proud of.
“In Rwanda we have made significant investments in sports infrastructure. The BK Arena, where NBA basketball Africa League finals have been held, or the newly renovated Amphora Stadium, and the future Zaria Courts Complex … are a few examples.
“Our philosophy has always been to make the most of our available resources. We understand that sports is not just about buildings or events, but requires an entire ecosystem to cultivate talent and excite fans. This has a real and tangible impact, not only on our economy but also for our people.
“For every hotel, recreation facility or restaurant that gets built, new jobs are created. Rwanda is ready, and we want to welcome even more fans and visitors while aiming for the highest quality standard in everything we do.”
It is a true shame that modern global motorsport doesn’t do more to include the 1.4 billion people living on the African continent. It would be astonishing for a country like Rwanda, which saw incredible strife during the 1990s including economic collapse and genocide, to bounce back and be added to the list of F1 host countries. The country has grown its economy by leaps and bounds since 2000, and has become a pillar of stability in the region. By all accounts the current government has a better track record on human rights than many other F1 host countries, making impressive progress in areas like education, health, and poverty reduction, though still receives some criticism for media freedom and crackdowns on dissent.
Would an F1 race be a symbolic feather addition to the Rwanda cap? Of course it would, but it might also bring investment and tourism to the country that it desperately needs. Africa, largely with economic help from trade partner China, is rapidly growing into a world power, and should be taken quite seriously.
