The circus has been missing from the continent for 31 years. The Rwandan president: “We want to become the Singapore of Africa”. Domenicali said he was interested
Formula One is preparing to return to Africa. Rwanda, home to the awards ceremony for the 2024 FIA championships, has in fact made official its candidacy to host F.1 on the circuit that will be built near the capital Kigali. The construction of the facility, which will wind around a lake through local forests, has been entrusted to a company led by former pilot Alexander Wurz, who has been in contact with the country’s representatives for about a year. The circus has been missing from the African continent since 1993, when the last edition of the South African GP was held on the Kyalami circuit. The facility built near the capital Johannesburg, which has hosted 21 Grands Prix since 1967, seemed to be the ideal candidate for the return of Formula One to Africa but the impressive growth of Rwanda, driven by tourism, attracted the interest of Stefano Domenicali. “They have presented a good project – explained the CEO of Formula One already in September – and their representatives are very serious”. Before Kyalami, F.1. it also stopped in East London, in ’62, ’63 and ’65 and in Casablanca, Morocco, where in 1958 Ferrari driver Mike Hawthorn won the world championship in the only GP hosted on the Ain-Diab circuit. Naturally, there are many contradictions that would accompany the return of the circus to Africa.
elite tourism
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F1 is, numbers in hand, one of the richest sports in the world while Rwanda is among the 25 states with the highest poverty rate in the world. “We want to become the Singapore of Africa – explained the President of the Central African state, Paul Kagame – and our goal is to make the nation progress”. According to estimates, 150 million dollars will be needed to build the circuit alone, more than 1% of Rwanda’s annual GDP, but the prospect does not frighten Kagame, who was reconfirmed as leader of the country with 99% of the vote. “I can assure you that we are approaching the opportunity with seriousness and commitment and that is why I am pleased to announce Rwanda’s candidacy to host a Formula One GP.”