FIA reveals long-term target for Africa after Rwanda announcement

RWANDA – FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has welcomed the announcement that F1 will return to Africa with the African Grand Prix in Rwanda.

While F1 will be the focal point, the FIA hopes the return to racing in Africa will have a wider-reaching effect.

FIA president reacts to African Grand Prix announcement

F1 last raced in Africa in 1993, when Alain Prost won the South African Grand Prix at Kyalami for Williams.

In the years since, F1 has increased its footprint in Asia, North America and the Middle East.

In recent years, calls have grown louder for F1, which now boasts a 24-race schedule, to return to Africa and complete at least one race per year on each continent where this is feasible.

Leading these calls was seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton, who made clear on multiple occasions that he wanted to see F1 race in Africa before he retired.

However, with the first running scheduled for the early 2030s, Hamilton will need to extend his stay by a few more years to achieve this goal.

The return is not just about having F1 in Africa, with the FIA president paying out his expectations for a wider impact.

Speaking at the launch event attended by PlanetF1.com, Ben Sulayem said: “One thing I will ask you to look at: just look at the name here. It’s not selfish. It’s not for Rwandan form. It’s called Africa.

“This is sending a message. It is about Africa. So thank you again for using that name. Today is not only about announcing a race. It is about opening a new chapter in the history of Formula One.

“For more than three decades, Africa has been absent from the Formula One calendar. The last campaign in Africa was in South Africa, and it was, as we said, many decades ago. And today, here in Rwanda, we are announcing the return of Formula One to this great continent. This is a moment of immense pride and one that carries a very special meaning for me personally.

“Since I became president, it was four and a half years ago, we have made the development of motorsport in Africa one of our priorities.

“We have always believed that the continent, with such extraordinary talent, energy, and passion, deserves its rightful place at the highest level of our sport. So it’s not just about the events, but about the personal people being in the commissions and being at our top table.”

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Ben Sulayem continued by laying out his plans for a wider impact, including efforts to improve road safety with a particular note to motorcycles and the use of helmets, as well as improving grassroots motorsport.

“We must never forget that the future of motorsport begins at the grassroots,” he continued. “And it’s also here in Rwanda that you, Mr President, inaugurated our grassroots cross car. So thank you for that. And now we are doing the same thing for our karting.

“So a powerful symbol of the FIA’s determination to make motorsport more accessible and to develop local talent and also to create new opportunities for young people across Africa.”

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

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