World · World News Bureau
Formula One to return to Africa with Rwanda deal
Formula One has secured a 10-year agreement to race in Rwanda, marking the sport's first African Grand Prix in three decades. The partnership will establish the first F1 circuit on the continent since South Africa last hosted the championship in 1993.
LSN World News ·
The FIA and Formula One have finalized arrangements with Rwanda to bring elite motorsport racing back to the African continent through a long-term partnership. The decade-long accord represents a significant expansion of F1's global footprint and signals renewed interest in African markets by the international motorsport governing body.
Africa's previous Grand Prix took place in South Africa in 1993, leaving a 30-year gap in the sport's calendar on the continent. Rwanda's entry into the F1 schedule will require development of world-class racing infrastructure and facilities to meet the championship's stringent technical and safety standards.
The agreement underscores Rwanda's growing ambitions to establish itself as a continental hub for major international sporting events and business activities. Government and private investment in the project is expected to generate economic benefits through tourism, employment, and infrastructure development.
Formula One's return to Africa comes amid the sport's broader expansion strategy, which has seen the calendar grow to accommodate venues across multiple continents. The Rwanda Grand Prix is anticipated to enhance F1's commercial reach and connect the championship with new audiences across the African region.