Formula 1 signs 10-year deal to return to Africa with Rwanda race
The new Bugesera circuit, about 40 km south of Kigali, is expected to be completed in the early 2030s.
Key facts
Story- F1 signed a 10-year agreement to race in Rwanda, its first African race since 1993
- The race will be held at a new purpose-built circuit in Bugesera, near Kigali International Airport
- The circuit will be built to FIA Grade 1 standards and is expected to open early in the next decade
Formula 1 has agreed a 10-year deal to hold races in Rwanda, its first race in Africa since 1993. The announcement comes from F1's own newsroom.
The first Rwandan Grand Prix will take place once a new circuit in Bugesera is finished. That is expected to be in the early 2030s. The track will be built to FIA Grade 1 standards, the highest rating the governing body gives to circuits.
A circuit built around the landscape
The circuit sits about 40 kilometres south of Kigali, next to the new Kigali International Airport. Its designers plan to use the area's changes in height to make the track more challenging for drivers, and to give fans good views. F1 said the venue will not be used only for racing. It will also host other international motorsport, major events, conferences and entertainment all year round.
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The project is led by the Rwanda Development Board as part of a wider plan covering sport, tourism, infrastructure and business. F1 said the venue should help drive long-term economic growth and investment in the region.
Why Africa, and why Rwanda
F1 said Africa is one of the sport's biggest growth opportunities. It said more than 100 million people across the continent already follow the sport. It also said a large majority of fans in key Sub-Saharan African markets are under 35.
Rwanda has hosted several major international events, including the UCI Road World Championships and the ICC Women's Challenge Trophy. F1 said today's announcement follows years of work to put the right foundations and partner in place.
What comes next
The details in the announcement are limited to the agreement, the circuit's location and its planned standard. No date for the first race has been fixed beyond the early 2030s, and the announcement does not give the cost of the project.
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