Lewis Hamilton wants to stay in F1 into the early 2030s so he can finally race on African soil when Rwanda hosts the continent's Grand Prix.
Lewis Hamilton has a new target, and it is on African soil. The seven-time world champion says he wants to keep racing into the early 2030s so he can take part in the African Grand Prix, which is set to land in Rwanda. He calls racing in Africa a dream.
F1 confirmed the news last week, announcing a 10-year deal for Rwanda to host a race on a purpose-built circuit in Bugesera, about 25 miles south of Kigali. The track has yet to be built, with the first event pencilled in for the early 2030s. At 41, Hamilton is already planning a career that stretches well into that window.
The race would end a long wait. Formula One has not visited the continent since Kyalami in South Africa hosted a Grand Prix in 1993. For three decades, the sport's global calendar has had no African stop, despite the continent's huge and passionate fanbase.
The decision to go to Rwanda has drawn criticism because of the country's human rights record. Hamilton, one of the sport's most outspoken voices off the track, says he still believes it is right for F1 to hold a race there.
For Hamilton, it adds a final chapter to a career that has already rewritten the record books. If the plan holds, the sport's most decorated driver could be on the grid when F1 finally returns to Africa.
