Formula 1 could be roaring back to Africa for the first time since 1993 — and Rwanda is leading the race to host it.
The sport’s first Grand Prix on the continent since the 1993 South African Grand Prix could be staged in Rwanda as early as 2030, with talks reportedly making significant progress.
Rwanda’s chances of joining the coveted F1 calendar are growing fast. According to respected motorsport publication RacingNews365, discussions between Kigali and Formula 1 bosses have reached an encouraging stage, with details of a potential agreement expected before the end of 2026.
It is a dream Rwanda has chased for years. The country has long expressed interest in hosting one of the world’s biggest sporting spectacles, which has been absent from Africa for 33 years.
President Paul Kagame reinforced the bid when Rwanda made history by hosting the FIA General Assembly and the annual FIA Awards in Kigali in December 2024.
The momentum continued in 2025, when Kagame held further high-level talks with FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who has backed Rwanda’s bid, and Formula 1 President Stefano Domenicali.
Rwanda is not alone in the chase — Nigeria, Morocco and South Africa have also expressed interest — but Kigali appears to be in pole position.
Under the proposed plan, a state-of-the-art permanent circuit will be built about 40km from Kigali, near the new Kigali International Airport under construction in Bugesera District. The track could be designed by former F1 driver and renowned circuit designer Alexander Wurz through his company WurzDesign.
Rwanda’s motorsport ambitions received another major boost when it became the 125th member of the World Motorcycling Federation (FIM). The decision was approved at the FIM General Assembly on December 5, 2025, in Lausanne, Switzerland — signalling growing global confidence in Rwanda’s long-term vision for motorsport.
From hosting the FIA to joining the FIM and now chasing F1, Rwanda is positioning itself as Africa’s emerging motorsport hub — ready to nurture talent and host the world.
Could the chequered flag finally fall in Kigali in 2030?
