F1 Returns to Africa: Rwanda Signs 10-Year Grand Prix Deal
Stateline MEDIA Newsroom•October 14, 2026•1 min read
Illustration of a Formula 1 race (photo taken at the 2015 Malaysian GP). The new circuit in Bugesera, Rwanda, is still under construction. (Source: Morio / Wikimedia Commons)
Formula 1 officially returns to Africa after 33 years: Rwanda signs a 10-year deal to stage the "Formula 1 African Grand Prix, presented by Visit Rwanda" at a new Bugesera circuit near Kigali, with the first race targeted for the early 2030s.
Key Facts
F1 and the Rwandan government signed a 10-year deal to stage the "Formula 1 African Grand Prix, presented by Visit Rwanda"; the agreement was announced in Kigali on Tuesday (13 October 2026) by F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali, FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem, and Rwandan President Paul Kagame.
Racing will take place at a new purpose-built FIA Grade 1 circuit in Bugesera, about 40 kilometres south of Kigali and next to the new Kigali international airport currently under construction; design is handled by WurzDesign, owned by former F1 driver Alex Wurz, in collaboration with the legendary circuit architects Tilke.
The first race is targeted for the early 2030s, but it depends on the circuit's completion, FIA Grade 1 homologation, and calendar availability. Rwanda Development Board CEO Jean-Guy Afrika cited a grandstand capacity of 100,000.
This will be the first F1 race in Africa in 33 years — the last was the 1993 South African Grand Prix at Kyalami.
Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time world champion and the only Black driver in F1 history, has campaigned for years for a race in Africa. F1 records more than 100 million fans across the continent, with nearly 60 percent of fans in key Sub-Saharan markets under the age of 35.
