On October 13, the Rwandan president, Paul Kagame, signed a deal with the FIA allowing Formula 1 to race in Rwanda. The contract stipulates that F1 would race at a purpose-built circuit for at least 10 years, beginning as soon as the race track is built, in the early 2030s.
Africa has previously hosted Formula 1 races in both Morocco and South Africa, and the South African sport minister, Gayton McKenzie, has been campaigning for Formula 1 to return to Africa since 2024. Despite the announcement of the Rwandan Grand Prix, he has stated that he will continue to do so, as there is always room for more Grands Prix in Africa.
The Kyalami Grand Prix circuit in South Africa was first used in 1967. It was host to 20 races with its final one being in 1993, where Alain Prost won. Several F1 drivers have stated a desire to race in South Africa again, and with its rich history in racing, it seems like an obvious choice. However, a lack of financial backing in comparison to Rwanda may be rendering Kyalami unappealing to the FIA.
The issue with the Rwandan Grand Prix announcement isn’t that motorsport will be returning to Africa; after all, Rwanda has been integrating itself in the world of sport for many years, with VisitRwanda previously sponsoring Arsenal, PSG and Bayern Munich. However, these clubs were placed under scrutiny for their contracts, and urged to terminate their sponsorships. The problem is that Rwanda has many well-documented humane and political issues, such as repressing political opposition and violating human rights. The government has also backed military groups who have seized control of cities within the Democratic Republic of Congo.
However, Formula 1 races in 4 separate Middle Eastern countries, all disregarding certain human rights.The money offered by Qatar, the UAE, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia, is clearly more important to the FIA, as the season often begins and ends in the Middle East, despite Australia being famous for kicking off the season. Furthermore, just this season, races were cancelled in April due to an ongoing war in the Middle East. Rwanda could be seen as a much more volatile country than others in the calendar, which may be a safety concern for the drivers and team personnel.
There are many supposed benefits for the citizens of Rwanda, as this opportunity will allow for more tourism and development within the country. Yet it is unclear whether Formula 1 and the FIA will implement the appropriate infrastructure to ensure that the new Grand Prix is a true benefit.
Photo by Marc Kleen on Unsplash under the Unsplash license.
