Rwanda wins 10-year deal to host Formula One, first African Grand Prix since 1993

Formula One is going back to Africa. Rwanda has signed a 10-year deal to host a Grand Prix, with the first race projected for the early 2030s, President Paul Kagame announced at a ceremony in Kigali on Tuesday, 13 October 2026. It will be the first F1 race on the continent since 1993, Al Jazeera reported.

The deal at a glance

• Host: Rwanda
• Length: 10 years
• First race: early 2030s (no year fixed yet)
• Circuit: a new track near Bugesera International Airport, about 40 km south of Kigali
• Last African Grand Prix: 1993

F1 president and CEO Stefano Domenicali and FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem attended the announcement.

The track

The circuit is being designed by the firm of former F1 driver Alexander Wurz. According to the plans described at the launch, it will be:

• about 6 km long with 17 corners,
• run anti-clockwise,
• climb 197 metres in elevation every lap,
• built to FIA Grade 1, the standard needed to host F1, and used for other motorsport and big events too.

What they said

Kagame called the partnership long overdue and "a milestone for the continent." Domenicali described Africa as "the missing piece" in F1's global map, and Ben Sulayem called it "a moment of immense pride" that opens "a new chapter in the history of Formula One."

Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time world champion, has pushed for an African race for years and said at the Singapore Grand Prix: "We need to have a Grand Prix in Africa." Reigning champion Max Verstappen said he hopes the plan goes through.

Rwanda first set out its bid in December 2024, when it hosted the FIA General Assembly in Kigali.

Why it matters to fans here

The Gulf races in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Abu Dhabi are already the closest F1 gets to Pakistan, and they run in convenient evening slots in Pakistan time. A race in Rwanda, three hours behind PKT, would also fall at a viewer-friendly hour here. For now it is years away. More motorsport, including the Jhang Desert Rally this weekend, is on our sports desk.