F1 Is Returning To Africa With A New Track

Formula 1 is heading back to Africa for the first time since 1993, and the deal was signed in Rwanda. The FIA and Formula 1 confirmed a 10-year agreement on October 13 to race on a new circuit near Kigali, built specifically for the job.

There is a catch, though. The track does not exist yet. Before any Formula 1 African Grand Prix can go on the calendar, Rwanda has to build it to FIA Grade 1 standards, the top tier required for grand prix racing, and that work has not started on a finished layout.

The Race Is Planned For The Early 2030s

Formula 1 president and CEO Stefano Domenicali called it "a landmark moment for Formula 1" when the agreement was announced, a line that relies on how long this championship has waited to add an African date. FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem described the return in similar terms, calling it "a historic moment for our sport."

Rwandan President Paul Kagame kept his statement shorter: "Today belongs to Africa." The agreement runs 10 years, and the first race is targeted for the early 2030s, though neither the FIA nor Formula 1 has attached a specific year.

The commercial rationale for picking Rwanda draws on the size of the audience the series sees across the continent. Organizers and coverage of the deal point to more than 100 million Formula 1 fans across Africa, and describe that fanbase as relatively young and fast growing.

Bugesera Circuit Location And Design

The circuit will rise in Bugesera, a district roughly 25 miles south of Kigali, sitting next to the new Kigali International Airport. That airport link matters for a sport that moves its entire operation, cars, crews, and hospitality to a new country roughly every other week.

Design work is being handled by Tilke Engineers and Architects alongside WurzDesign, the firm led by former F1 driver Alex Wurz. Early concepts describe a track around 3.7 miles long with 17 corners running anti-clockwise, though the full layout has not been released.

What stands out in the concept is the elevation with about 646 feet of climbing and descending per lap, drawn from Bugesera's natural hills and lake-adjacent terrain. Cambered turns and banking are part of the plan, aimed at giving drivers a genuine roller-coaster character rather than a flat layout bolted onto open land.

The venue is meant to host more than Formula 1. It is one piece of a broader sports, tourism, and infrastructure campaign led by the Rwanda Development Board, following the country's hosting of the UCI Road World Championships and the ICC Women's Challenge Trophy.