Formula 1 will return to Africa for the first time in more than three decades after officially confirming a 10-year agreement for Rwanda to host a Grand Prix in the early 2030s. The announcement marks a major milestone for the sport and a significant breakthrough for Lewis Hamilton, who has spent years campaigning behind the scenes to bring Formula 1 back to the continent.
The championship confirmed on Tuesday that the race will take place on a purpose-built circuit in Bugesera, approximately 40 kilometres south of Rwanda’s capital, Kigali. The project will be developed near the country’s new international airport, with the circuit expected to be completed at the beginning of the next decade.
Formula 1’s last race in Africa took place at Kyalami in South Africa in 1993. Rwanda’s arrival will therefore end a 33-year absence from the continent, although the precise date of the inaugural race remains dependent on the circuit’s construction.
Hamilton’s role in bringing Formula 1 back to Africa
Hamilton has consistently argued that Formula 1 cannot claim to be a truly global championship while Africa remains absent from its calendar.
The seven-time world champion revealed in August 2024 that he was working behind the scenes with representatives in Rwanda and South Africa to help make an African Grand Prix happen.
“The time’s 100 per cent right. We can’t be adding races in other locations and continue to ignore Africa, which the rest of the world just takes from. No one gives anything to Africa,” Hamilton said at the Dutch Grand Prix, as reported by Reuters.
His involvement went beyond public expressions of support. Hamilton explained in March 2026 that he had been working on the issue for approximately six years, meeting stakeholders and repeatedly asking why the championship was represented on every other inhabited continent but not Africa.
That sustained campaign provides important context for Tuesday’s announcement. While Formula 1 has not presented Hamilton as the sole driving force behind the agreement, his advocacy has helped keep the issue firmly on the agenda.
Hamilton has also spoken warmly about Rwanda following his travels across Africa, identifying it as one of the places he particularly enjoyed visiting. The Ferrari driver has argued that a Grand Prix could introduce international audiences to the continent’s diversity while helping generate tourism and economic opportunities.
Formula 1 promises a unique and challenging circuit
Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali described the agreement as a landmark moment for the championship.
“Today is a milestone for Formula 1,” Domenicali said in the official announcement.
“With Rwanda joining the racing calendar from the next decade, our sport will race on every inhabited continent, bringing the World Championship closer to fans around the world than ever before.”
Domenicali added that Africa had always formed part of Formula 1’s future ambitions, explaining that the championship had sought the right partner, a long-term commitment and a clear vision for its return.
The planned circuit will be designed to make use of the surrounding landscape and the region’s elevation changes.
“It will be designed to blend harmoniously into the natural landscape and utilize the area’s elevation changes to create a unique and challenging racing experience while offering fans exceptional sightseeing opportunities,” Formula 1 stated.
The 10-year agreement provides a long-term framework for the event, although the race cannot begin until the purpose-built facility is ready.
Why Rwanda won the race to host F1
Rwanda has spent recent years building its profile as an international sporting and tourism destination. The country hosted the UCI Road World Championships in 2025 and the FIA’s annual prize-giving ceremony in December 2024, when its ambitions to host Formula 1 received further attention.
The government has positioned a Grand Prix as an opportunity to attract visitors, investment and international recognition. Formula 1, meanwhile, gains a route back to a continent where its absence has become increasingly difficult to reconcile with its global expansion.
However, the decision also comes amid scrutiny of Rwanda’s human rights record and its regional political relationships. Critics have raised concerns about the use of high-profile sporting events to improve the country’s international image, an issue that will remain part of the debate surrounding the race.
A historic return, but a long wait remains
For Hamilton, the announcement represents meaningful progress on an ambition he has pursued throughout several years of discussions with Formula 1 stakeholders.
For the championship, Rwanda’s agreement creates a pathway to racing on every inhabited continent for the first time in its history.
The challenge now is delivering the circuit and the infrastructure needed to stage a Formula 1 event to the required standards. With the race expected in the early 2030s, fans will have to wait several years before the championship’s return to Africa becomes reality.
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The Judge, a nom de plume of an experienced F1 journalist and site founder with long-standing sources across the paddock. With over 30 years of experience in Formula 1 as an insider journalist, I have built trusted connections across the paddock, from race engineers and mechanics to senior team figures. At The Judge 13, I and a handful of trusted colleagues share exclusive Formula 1 news, expert analysis and behind-the-scenes stories you will not find in mainstream motorsport media.
