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Find your frequencyF1 to return to Africa with grand prix in Rwanda
AP • October 14th, 2026 5:00 am
Lewis Hamilton's dream of an African Grand Prix is set to come true, in Rwanda | Photo: EPA
Formula 1 has announced that Rwanda will host a race from "the early 2030s" meaning a return to Africa for the sport which last raced on the continent in South Africa in 1993.
The African Grand Prix will have a 10-year contract and take place at a track in Bugesera, south-east of the capital Kigali. F1 said the purpose-built track would be ready "early in the next decade."
Rwandan President Paul Kagame said at a launch event in Kigali that it was "a success and a milestone for the entire continent, especially for the African fans," adding he hoped it could lead to more F1 events in Africa.
But the decision was condemned by human rights group Amnesty International as offering Rwanda a "sportswashing prize", accusing Formula One of hollow words.
Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali called confirmation of the Rwandan GP "a landmark moment" | Photo: AP
Racing in Africa will fulfil a long-held ambition for seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, the only Black driver in F1. The 41-year-old Briton has said he has been "fighting in the background" for years to have a race in Africa.
"Today is a landmark moment for Formula 1," F1 President and chief executive Stefano Domenicali said.
"With Rwanda joining the calendar from the next decade our sport will race in every inhabited continent, bringing the world championship closer than ever to fans around the globe.
"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."
Rwandan president Paul Kagame said hosting a grand prix would "change perceptions" of Africa | Photo: AP
Rwanda's President Paul Kagame told a press conference in Kigali that the deal would set Rwanda on a journey "that will change how Africa is perceived in the world of sport".
Kagame has won praise from Western and regional leaders for helping to end the 1994 genocide in Rwanda and rebuilding the country into an attractive destination for investment and aid.
He also stands accused of a crackdown on critics at home, and supporting the M23 rebel group in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo, who rights groups say are guilty of killings, rapes and other rights abuses.
"A 10-year Grand Prix 'presented by Visit Rwanda' is a sportswashing prize for the Rwandan authorities," said Felix Jakens, Amnesty UK's head of campaigns in a written response.
"Rwanda is buying into the world's biggest sports to polish its image and deflect from its appalling human rights record.
"Formula One says sport can be 'a positive force for good'. That rings hollow if F1 shrugs off who it is partnering with. Rwanda's authorities are prolific in arbitrary detention, torture and the repression of free speech – these are abuses at home."
