Rwanda has signed a 10-year agreement with Formula 1 to host the African Grand Prix, marking the sport’s return to the continent for the first time since 1993.
The race is expected to begin in the early 2030s and will take place on a purpose-built circuit in Bugesera, about 25 miles south of the capital, Kigali, and close to the city’s new international airport.
Formula 1 announced the agreement, describing it as the outcome of years of collaboration aimed at establishing the right conditions for a sustainable and world-class event.
The sport said the project followed “years of collaboration to ensure the right foundations, with the best partner, are in place to deliver a successful, sustainable and world-class grand prix for generations to come”.
The circuit, designed by former Formula 1 driver Alex Wurz, is expected to incorporate the area’s natural landscape and elevation changes.
According to Formula 1, the track has been “designed to work in harmony with the natural landscape, using the area’s elevation changes to create a unique and challenging racing experience while delivering exceptional viewing opportunities for fans”.
In a post on X, Formula 1 wrote, “Formula 1 returns to Africa with 10 year agreement to race in Rwanda
“The African Grand Prix is set to join the F1 calendar in the early 2030s.”
According to BBC, Rwanda President Paul Kagame described the agreement as a significant moment for African motorsport fans, noting that the continent had been absent from the championship for more than three decades.
“For more than three decades, the world’s premier motorsport championship has raced without this continent, and that changes with this agreement,” Kagame said.
He said Rwanda was proud to host the event and provide African fans, particularly young people, with an opportunity to experience the sport closer to home.
“Rwanda is proud to host the Formula 1 African Grand Prix, and to share this moment with more than 100 million fans across Africa, many of them young people who deserve to see the sport at home and to see themselves in it: as engineers, technicians, entrepreneurs and, one day, drivers,” he said.
Kagame added that the project was expected to generate economic benefits beyond the race weekend through employment, tourism, skills development and business opportunities.
“The circuit in Bugesera, alongside the new international airport, will bring jobs, skills, tourism and new business to our country and our region for decades to come, because our aim was never a single race weekend, but a lasting benefit for our people,” he said.
Formula 1 President Stefano Domenicali described the deal as “a landmark moment for F1”, saying it would enable the championship to race on every inhabited continent.
“Africa has always been part of Formula 1’s future, and from the beginning we were determined to return in the right way, with the right partner, a long-term commitment and a clear vision for creating meaningful impact,” Domenicali said.
The agreement represents an opportunity for Formula 1 to expand its presence in Africa, where the sport has comparatively less reach than in Europe, Asia and the Americas.
However, the race’s position on the annual calendar has not yet been confirmed. Organisers will also need to consider Rwanda’s rainy seasons when determining the most suitable period for the event.
Formula 1 has maintained a commitment to limiting its calendar to no more than 24 races per season.
