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Formula 1 returns to Africa with 10-year deal to race in Rwanda

Formula 1 returns to Africa with 10-year deal to race in Rwanda

Money Moves

African Grand Prix set for Bugesera in early 2030s, first continental race since Kyalami 1993, as African Union backs the deal and Congo objects

October 15th, 2026: Congo calls Rwanda Grand Prix 'indefensible'

Overview

Updated Oct 17

Formula One will race in Africa again, for the first time since Kyalami in 1993. On October 13, the sport signed a 10-year deal with Rwanda. The African Grand Prix will run at a circuit still to be built in Bugesera, about 40 kilometers south of Kigali, from the early 2030s.

The African Union has endorsed the agreement. Congo's foreign minister, Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, called the race "indefensible" and said it would "polish the image of an authoritarian leader." Rwanda has not published a construction budget, a financing plan or a confirmed race date.

Why it matters

F1 now races on every inhabited continent, and Rwanda becomes the test of whether big-money sport can anchor an African economy.

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Key Indicators

33
Years since an African Grand Prix
The gap between Kyalami 1993 and the 2026 announcement.
10-year
Length of F1-Rwanda agreement
Covers races that begin in the early 2030s.
100 million
Formula 1 fans in Africa
F1's estimate of its African following; nearly 60% of key markets are under 35.
6 km
Planned Bugesera circuit length
A 17-corner, anti-clockwise track with 197 meters of elevation change.

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People Involved

Paul Kagame
Paul Kagame
President of Rwanda
Led the campaign to bring F1 to Rwanda; announced the deal in Kigali
 Stefano Domenicali
Stefano Domenicali
President and CEO, Formula One Group
Overseeing the sport's expansion into new host markets
 Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton
Seven-time Formula 1 world champion
Pushed publicly for an African race for years
 Jean-Guy Afrika
Jean-Guy Afrika
CEO, Rwanda Development Board
Leading the Bugesera circuit project
 Mohammed ben Sulayem
Mohammed ben Sulayem
President, FIA
Attended the Kigali announcement
 Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner
Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner
Foreign Minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo
Publicly opposed the Rwanda Grand Prix

Organizations Involved

Formula One Group (Liberty tracking group / post-split Liberty Media focus)
Formula One Group (Liberty tracking group / post-split Liberty Media focus)
Commercial rights holder for the F1 World Championship
Signed a 10-year agreement with Rwanda

The company that owns the commercial rights to Formula 1 racing.
Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA)
Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA)
International motorsport governing body
Co-signed the agreement; will certify the Bugesera circuit

The global body that sanctions the F1 World Championship and sets its safety rules.
RD
Rwanda Development Board
Government agency
Leading the Bugesera circuit and infrastructure project

Rwanda's state agency for investment, tourism and major projects.
Visit Rwanda
Visit Rwanda
National tourism brand
Title sponsor of the African Grand Prix

Rwanda's official tourism marketing brand.
WU
WurzDesign
Motorsport track design consultancy
Designing the Bugesera circuit

Design firm led by former Formula 1 driver Alexander Wurz, hired to design the Bugesera circuit.
African Union
African Union
Intergovernmental organization
Endorsed the Rwanda Formula 1 agreement

The continental body of African member states.

Timeline

1958 October 2026

7 events Latest: October 15th, 2026 · 4 weeks ago
Tap a bar to jump to that date

  1. Congo calls Rwanda Grand Prix 'indefensible'

    Latest Opposition

    Foreign Minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner said the race would polish the image of an authoritarian leader.

  2. African Union backs Rwanda's Formula 1 deal

    Endorsement

    The African Union endorsed the 10-year agreement to hold the African Grand Prix in Rwanda.

  3. F1 and Rwanda sign 10-year African Grand Prix deal

    Agreement

    F1 announces 10-year deal for African Grand Prix in Bugesera from early 2030s.

  4. Rwanda hosts UCI Cycling World Championships

    Milestone

    The first African country to hold the week-long cycling championship.

  5. Kigali hosts FIA Awards

    Milestone

    Rwanda's capital welcomes the FIA's annual ceremony, a first for Africa.

  6. Kyalami hosts last South African Grand Prix

    Historical

    South Africa's Kyalami circuit holds the final African world championship race.

  7. Ain-Diab hosts Africa's first Grand Prix

    Historical

    Morocco's Ain-Diab road course holds a one-off world championship race.

Scenarios

1

African Grand Prix debuts in Bugesera by 2034

Likely Resolves by End of 2034

Discussed by: FIA, Formula 1, Rwanda Development Board

The circuit is built to Grade 1 standards and the race joins the official F1 calendar in the early 2030s. Kigali's new airport opens in 2028, and the track is designed to be ready soon after. This is the path all official statements project.

2

Construction slips, debut pushed past 2034

Possible Resolves by End of 2034

Discussed by: BBC Sport

Purpose-built circuits frequently miss deadlines, and prior African bids by Morocco and South Africa never reached a race. If the Bugesera track or surrounding infrastructure falls behind, F1 and Rwanda would announce a revised debut date.

3

Rwanda race paves way for a second African Grand Prix

Uncertain Resolves by End of 2036

Discussed by: Jean-Guy Afrika (Rwanda Development Board CEO)

Afrika says the intent is for the African Grand Prix to be bigger than Rwanda and expects other countries to bid after the first race. F1 separately counts more than 100 million fans on the continent. A second venue in Africa would extend the commercial model the Rwanda deal starts.

4

South Africa lands its own Grand Prix before 2030

Uncertain Resolves by End of 2029

Discussed by: Gayton McKenzie, South Africa's sports minister

McKenzie posted on X after the Rwanda announcement that South Africa 'will get F1, even before 2030.' South Africa, which hosted races at East London (now KuGompo City) from 1962 to 1966 and at Kyalami from 1967, had proposals at Kyalami and Cape Town and was in the running before Rwanda won the African round.

Historical Context

3 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

1967–1993

South African Grand Prix at Kyalami (1967–1993)

South Africa held 23 world championship races, most at the Kyalami circuit outside Johannesburg. The 1993 race, won by Alain Prost, was the last. After that, F1 left the continent entirely.

Then

Africa went 33 years without a world championship race, despite repeated bids from South Africa and Morocco.

Now

The absence turned Africa into a frontier market for F1, with a large fan base but no event.

Why this matters now

The Rwanda deal is the first successful attempt to end the drought Kyalami started.

1958

Morocco's Ain-Diab race (1958)

Morocco's Ain-Diab road course hosted a single world championship race in 1958, the only African event outside South Africa in F1 history.

Then

The race was a one-off and Morocco never hosted F1 again.

Now

It showed how hard a race is to sustain without long-term investment and infrastructure.

Why this matters now

Rwanda's 10-year, purpose-built commitment is the opposite model from Ain-Diab's one-shot event.

2021

F1's new-market push (2021)

Qatar and Saudi Arabia joined the F1 calendar in 2021, following deals for Las Vegas and Miami. All four are state-backed or casino-backed events built around tourism and investment goals.

Then

F1 added several high-revenue races and expanded its global television reach.

Now

The new-market playbook — a purpose-built venue, government backing, tourism ambitions — became F1's standard growth model.

Why this matters now

Rwanda is the first new host since those 2021 arrivals, and the poorest of them by far.

Sources

(19)
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Al Jazeera Formula 1 Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) BBC Sport NBC News / Associated Press ESPN ABC News The Guardian NewsCord Yahoo Sports The New Times Associated Press The Washington Post IOL Autosport Al Jazeera Formula 1 Formula 1 Associated Press