Rwanda to host a Grand Prix in 2030s as Formula One returns to Africa

Rwanda has secured a 10-year deal to host F1 races at a purpose-built race track on the outskirts of capital Kigali.Kigali, Rwanda – Formula One will return to Africa after a decades-long absence, with Rwanda scheduled to host a Grand Prix in the early 2030s.Rwandan President Paul Kagame made the announcement during a ceremony attended by Formula One President and CEO Stefano Domenicali and FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem in Kigali on Tuesday.“Rwanda has been working very hard towards hosting the African Grand Prix,” Kagame said. He referred to it a “partnership” that was long overdue but “a milestone for the continent”.Rwandan President Paul Kagame [Laith Mushtaq/Al Jazeera]The East African nation has secured a 10-year deal to bring Formula One back to the continent for the first time since 1993, with the inaugural race projected for the early 2030s.The Grand Prix will be held near Kigali, with former Austrian motorsport driver Alex Wurz’s racetrack design firm in charge of designing the new circuit.It will be built near the Bugesera international airport, 40 kilometres (24.8 miles) south of Kigali.The circuit will stretch over six kilometres, with 17 corners and an anti-clockwise layout. Designed to follow the natural terrain, it will feature an elevation gain of 197 metres per lap. The track will be developed to FIA Grade 1 standards and is expected to host other motorsport competitions and major events.Kagame emphasised that “Rwanda is happy and excited to be part of a journey that will change how Africa is conceived by the world of sports”.Qatar’s Ambassador to Rwanda, Mansour Ali Fahad Al-Shahwani Al-Hajri, left, attended the ceremony announcing the return of Formula One to Africa [Laith Mushtaq/Al Jazeera]‘Missing piece’Mohammed Ben Sulayem, president of the sport’s governing body, hailed Formula One’s return to Africa as “a moment of immense pride”, adding that it opened “a new chapter in the history of Formula One”.