Formula 1 confirms African Grand Prix in Rwanda from the early 2030s under 10-year deal
Rwanda will host a Formula 1 race on a purpose-built circuit at Bugesera, south of Kigali, under a 10-year contract. It would be the first grand prix in Africa since 1993, and no date for the inaugural race has been confirmed.
A 10-year deal for a new race
Formula 1 confirmed on Tuesday, 13 October 2026, that Rwanda will host a race from "the early 2030s" under a 10-year contract. The African Grand Prix is presented by Visit Rwanda, and the series last raced in Africa at the 1993 South African Grand Prix at Kyalami. Reports earlier in October said a deal had neared completion before F1 confirmed the signing. F1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali said:
Today is a landmark moment for Formula 1.
He went on to add:
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.
The circuit and timing
The race will be held on a purpose-built circuit at Bugesera, next to the new Kigali International Airport. Sources differ on the distance from the capital: the BBC puts Bugesera 25 miles south of Kigali, while The Independent gives 40 miles and ABC about 40 kilometres. The BBC reports the circuit was designed by former F1 driver Alex Wurz, and ABC says it must meet the FIA Grade 1 standard, the highest homologation the federation requires for a championship track.
- Last F1 race in Africa: South African Grand Prix at Kyalami
- Paul Kagame announces Rwanda's candidacy at the FIA general assembly in Kigali
- F1 confirms 10-year African Grand Prix deal with Rwanda
- Target for the first race, once the Bugesera circuit is built
F1 has not confirmed the date of the inaugural race, and the BBC reports it has not yet been established where the race would fit in the calendar. The debut grand prix is due to be staged once the circuit is finished, with a target completion in the early 2030s. ABC says the exact date, the construction milestones and the weekend format will be announced later.
Africa's place in the calendar
South Africa had also been in the running, with proposals at Kyalami and in Cape Town. The Independent reports that South Africa has not ruled out an agreement with the sport in the coming years, despite Rwanda's proposal. According to ABC, Domenicali said Africa is home to more than 100 million F1 fans.
Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, the 41-year-old British driver and the only Black driver in F1 according to AP, has said he has been "fighting in the background" for years to bring a race to Africa. ABC reports that he has repeated the call for a grand prix on the continent.
Rwanda's bid and reaction
Rwandan president Paul Kagame, the project's main driver, announced the candidacy in December 2024 at the FIA general assembly held in Kigali, ABC reports. Kagame celebrated the announcement and said the championship had raced without the continent for more than three decades and that this now changes. The Rwanda Development Board leads the project, which combines infrastructure, tourism and sport.
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem said the federation will work closely with FOM, Formula One Management, which manages the championship's commercial rights, and with circuit partners to reach the highest standards.
What remains open
The exact date of the first race, the construction milestones and the weekend format are still to be announced. Until then the confirmed points are the 10-year contract, the Bugesera site and the early 2030s target.
