Rwanda Lands First African F1 Race Since 1993

Returning to Africa has long been a goal both for F1's owners, Liberty Media, who have pursued a race there since buying the championship in 2017, and for the seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, who has campaigned publicly for it. According to the BBC (the British Broadcasting Corporation), Rwanda succeeded where Morocco and South Africa failed because it presented a single, well-funded plan, whereas South Africa has several competing projects in different locations. The track, designed by the former driver Alexander Wurz, is expected to be roughly six kilometres long, with 17 corners and almost 200 metres of elevation change, making use of the country's hilly landscape. Rwanda has invested heavily in sport in recent years, hosting cycling's road world championships and sponsoring football clubs such as Arsenal and Aston Villa.

Domenicali described the deal as a "landmark moment", noting that F1 will now race on every inhabited continent, while Kagame said it would bring jobs, skills, tourism and new business, and inspire more than 100 million fans across Africa. Rwanda says the project is financed by a new development fund combining public and private money. However, critics accuse the country of "sportswashing", meaning using major sporting events to improve its international image. Amnesty International, a human rights organisation, said Rwanda was "buying into the world's biggest sports to polish its image" and urged F1 to push the authorities for change. Meanwhile, South Africa's sports minister, Gayton McKenzie, insisted that his country would still get a race, even before 2030.