Formula 1 announced a 10-year agreement on Tuesday to hold a new Grand Prix in Rwanda beginning in the early 2030s, bringing the world championship back to Africa for the first time since 1993. The race will run at a purpose-built circuit in Bugesera, a district southeast of the capital Kigali, according to FOX Sports.
The Rwanda Grand Prix 10-year deal gives the sport a long-term foothold on a continent it has not visited since the South African Grand Prix roughly 40 years ago. F1 made the announcement at a launch event in Kigali.
Deal Length And Timeline
The contract runs for 10 years, with racing set to start sometime in the early 2030s. F1 has not released a specific debut year for the event, and no calendar slot has been confirmed yet. The length of the commitment signals the series intends the race to become a fixture rather than a one-off stop.
Stefano Domenicali, F1’s president and chief executive, framed the agreement as a turning point for the sport’s global footprint. “Today is a landmark moment for Formula 1,” Domenicali 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 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.”
What Has Been Announced About The Venue
The race will be staged at a new, purpose-built track in Bugesera, located southeast of Kigali. F1 has not released details on the track’s layout, facilities or construction cost. No information has been shared yet on ticketing, race weekend format or broadcast plans.
Rwandan President Paul Kagame spoke at the Kigali launch event and called the agreement significant beyond just his own country. “A success and a milestone for the entire continent, especially for the African fans,” Kagame said, according to FOX Sports. He added that he hoped the race could open the door to additional F1 events elsewhere in Africa.
Return To Africa And The Calendar
Africa has been absent from the F1 calendar since the South African Grand Prix in 1993. That nearly four-decade gap makes Rwanda the first African stop on the schedule in a generation, and Domenicali’s comment about racing on “every inhabited continent” underscores how the series views the deal as closing its last major geographic gap.
Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time world champion and F1’s only Black driver, has pushed for years to bring a race to the continent. Hamilton described his role in the process as “fighting in the background,” a comment that reflects a long-running personal effort separate from the formal business negotiations between F1 and Rwandan officials.
No other teams or drivers have commented publicly on the Rwanda announcement beyond Hamilton. F1 has not detailed how the new race will fit into the existing calendar structure once it debuts.
What’s Next
F1 has not set an exact debut year within the early 2030s window, and construction details for the Bugesera circuit have not been released. Further announcements are expected to cover the venue’s specifications and the race’s position on future calendars as the sport works toward Domenicali’s goal of what he called “meaningful impact” on the continent.
For ongoing F1 coverage, see Total Apex Sports’ reporting on the current title fight, Max Verstappen’s recent sprint win and Red Bull’s form this season.
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