By Victor Kanayo
President Paul Kagame has revealed that Rwanda is bidding to host a Formula 1 Grand Prix.
F1 is keen to hold a race in Africa, and talks with Rwanda have been ongoing for some months, according to a BBC report.
This development comes as the FIA, F1’s governing body, hosts its general assembly and prize-giving ceremony in the Rwandan capital, Kigali. Kagame used the event’s opening to officially endorse the grand prix project.
If a deal is reached, the race would be held on a new track planned near the new Bugesera Airport, located outside Kigali.
The track designer is Alexander Wurz, a former F1 driver and chairman of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association.
Wurz’s company has been working on the track with local advisers, companies, and authorities for more than a year. The circuit, described as fast and flowing, is being built alongside a lake and takes advantage of the area’s hilly topography.
Wurz is also designing the new Qiddiyah track in Saudi Arabia, expected to be completed in 2028 and host a Grand Prix in 2029.
F1 had previously attempted to revive a Grand Prix in South Africa at the Kyalami track, which last hosted a race in 1993, but talks collapsed due to issues with the local promoter.
The Rwanda project is now considered the most likely candidate for an African Grand Prix, though the project remains unconfirmed.
