Everything we know about F1’s all-new race in Rwanda

Formula 1 is heading back to Africa after agreeing a 10-year deal to race in Rwanda in the early 2030s. To get you up to speed, here’s what we know…

This is very cool! How did it come about?

Well, in short, there have been years of collaboration to ensure the sport found the best partner to deliver a sustainable, world-class Grand Prix that will stand the test of time for generations to come.

“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,” said F1 President and CEO Stefano Domenicali.

There had been a lot of interested parties who wanted to bring F1 to Africa but after extensive conversations, a deal was agreed to secure the Formula 1 African Grand Prix, presented by Visit Rwanda.

This will see the sport return to the continent for the first time since 1993 when Kyalami hosted the South African Grand Prix.

Whereabouts in Rwanda are we talking?

I’m glad you asked. It’ll be Bugesera in the Eastern Province of Rwanda, which is around 40km south of the vibrant capital city of Kigali and next door to the new Kigali International Airport.

What do we know about the track?

Plans are in place to construct a new purpose-built circuit developed to FIA Grade 1 standards ready to welcome Formula 1.

As you can see from the first render image of the venue, the circuit is designed to use the elevation changes of the natural landscape to create a challenging racing experience, which is apt given that Rwanda is known as the Land of a Thousand Hills.

Design work is continuing on the final layout, which is a collaboration between WurzDesign (headed up by former F1 driver Alex Wurz) and Tilke Engineers and Architects, who were responsible for several tracks including Malaysia’s Sepang.

The construction of the new venue is part of a wider sports, tourism, infrastructure and commercial development project led by the Rwanda Development Board.

Aside from bringing F1 to the country, the venue will also serve as a year-round destination for hosting international motorsport, major events and conferences.

Has Rwanda hosted any big events before?

It sure has. Back in 2024, Rwanda welcomed F1 through the FIA Awards Ceremony. That year, Max Verstappen collected his fourth World Championship trophy while McLaren collected their first Teams’ Championship crown in more than two decades.

The African country has also welcomed cycling through the UCI Road World Championships, cricket via the ICC Women’s Challenge Trophy, world football via the 2023 FIFA Congress and also the Basketball African League.

What’s the F1 fanbase like in Africa?

There are already more than 100 million fans following Formula 1 across the continent and almost 60% of fans in key Sub-Saharan African markets under the age of 35.

Rwanda’s population is 14.6 million, with women in the majority. According to the 2022 census, there were 6.82 million females to form 51.5% of the population.

The census also showed that young women are a particularly large demographic. Among the 16-30 year olds, 1.8 million were females, with 1.6 million males.

When will we see it on the calendar?

Hold your horses! Details about the race date, circuit development milestones and race weekend plans will be announced in due course.

What do the drivers think about it?

Speaking before the announcement about the prospect of returning to Africa, seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton, four-time World Champion Verstappen and Mercedes’ George Russell gave their thoughts.

Hamilton said: “I’ve always said that we need to have a Grand Prix in Africa. It is, for me, the most important continent and the most beautiful continent. We’re on all the other continents but not 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.”

Verstappen commented: “For sure, if that’s possible that would be great. We want to race in a lot of different places in the world, so 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.”

Russell added: “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 [inhabited] continent we don’t race on and it’s about time we had a race there.”