Formula 1 will return to Africa for the first time in nearly 40 years after Rwanda signed a 10-year agreement to host a grand prix from the “early 2030s”.
F1 president Stefano Domenicali described the deal, announced in Kigali alongside Rwandan President Paul Kagame and FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, as a “landmark” moment.
The agreement ends almost a decade of work by F1 owner Liberty Media, which has pursued an African race since buying the sport at the start of 2017. Lewis Hamilton has also repeatedly stressed the importance of holding a grand prix on the continent.
Rwanda was selected after producing a single plan backed by the finance and ambition required to deliver the project. Morocco was unable to secure the necessary funding, while South Africa has as many as four competing proposals from different promoters in three locations, including two in Cape Town.
With the F1 calendar already crowded and other countries seeking places on it, the competing South African projects were considered too difficult to manage.
A new circuit will be built at Bugesera, 25 miles south of Kigali. It forms part of a larger development around a new international airport, which is also under construction. The site is planned to include entertainment, residential and hotel facilities, spas, sports science operations and an innovation hub.
Although construction has yet to begin on what is currently a greenfield site, those involved in the project say it should be completed by 2030.
Domenicali said: “It is the legacy of all of us to be in this very special moment.”
He added that he was “very proud” and that F1 was “showing the world what it means to be a country that has a vision”.
“Rwanda is one of the world’s great success stories,” he said. “A nation of extraordinary natural beauty and stunning landscapes, combined with resilience and courage to overcome and be reborn from challenges of its past.”
The project is being funded through a newly established development fund combining public and private investment. Rwanda launched a five-year plan last month to attract £3.5bn in private investment, with the grand prix part of a wider strategy focused on tourism, international investment, services, entertainment and economic growth.
However, the race is likely to face accusations of sportswashing. Rwanda is the subject of a case brought by neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo at the International Court of Justice, alleging breaches of treaties concerning genocide prevention, racial discrimination, women’s rights and torture. Similar criticism has been directed at Premier League clubs Arsenal and Aston Villa over sponsorship agreements with Rwanda.
Amnesty International UK head of campaigns Felix Jakens said Rwanda was using major sports “to polish its image and deflect from its appalling human rights record”.
F1 said sport could be “a positive force for good” and bring its passion to 100 million people across Africa. Its charter commits it to respecting internationally recognised human rights and monitoring potential impacts, while focusing on areas within its direct influence.
