Rwanda Secures Formula One Deal as Africa Awaits Grand Prix Return

Formula One is preparing to return to Africa, with Rwanda expected to stage a Grand Prix in the early 2030s following the announcement of a decade-long agreement with the country on Tuesday.

The race would mark the championship’s first appearance on the continent since the 1993 South African Grand Prix, which Frenchman Alain Prost won.

Rwanda has pursued the opportunity for several years, using major sporting partnerships and international events to boost tourism, attract foreign investment and strengthen its global profile. President Paul Kagame officially unveiled the country’s Formula One bid in December 2024 during a gathering of the sport’s governing body, the FIA.

F1 confirmed that the inaugural Rwandan race would be held “once a new purpose-built circuit in Bugesera, Rwanda, has been completed”.

Formula One president Stefano Domenicali described the agreement as a significant development for the sport.

“Today is a landmark moment for Formula One,” he said.

“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 One’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.”

The announcement represents another major step in Rwanda’s efforts to reposition itself internationally following the 1994 genocide, a tragedy that continues to shape the country’s global image.

The government has invested substantially in sports, securing sponsorship arrangements with English football club Arsenal and French side Paris Saint-Germain. Rwanda has also worked with the NBA to make the country the central hub of its African basketball league and hosted the cycling world championships last year.

Rwanda deal sparks debate over sports and politics

Despite the benefits Rwanda hopes to gain from hosting major sporting events, critics have accused the country of “sports-washing” — using high-profile competitions to distract from allegations of human rights violations, including the suppression of political opposition and dissent.

Others argue that such criticism reflects Western double standards, pointing to the United States hosting this year’s World Cup despite concerns about its own human rights record.

Kagame welcomed the Formula One agreement, declaring: “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,” the Rwandan president said.

Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton is also expected to welcome the development. The British driver has long called for Formula One to return to Africa, endorsed Rwanda’s proposal in 2024 and described the country as “one of my favourite places”.

South Africa, meanwhile, has also been campaigning to secure a place on the Formula One calendar. Its sports minister, Gayton McKenzie, stressed last week that the country’s ambitions should not be written off.

Responding on X last Thursday to reports of Rwanda’s expected agreement, McKenzie said: “(Rwanda) have worked on it longer than (South Africa) and deserve it.”

He continued: “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.”

McKenzie expressed confidence that South Africa would eventually secure a race, predicting that “SA will get F1, even before 2030.”

Africans Angle News