Rwanda has signed a 10-year deal with Formula 1, bringing the sport back to African soil for the first time since 1993.
Africa is getting its Grand Prix back, and Rwanda is the one bringing it home. The country has signed a 10-year agreement with Formula 1 to host races, putting the continent back on the calendar of the world's biggest motorsport series after more than three decades away.
The last time F1 raced in Africa was 1993, at South Africa's Kyalami circuit. Since then the sport has crisscrossed the Middle East, Asia and the Americas while the world's second-largest continent watched from the sidelines. This deal ends that long wait, even if fans will need some patience: racing is slated to start in the early 2030s.
For Rwanda, the agreement is a major statement. Hosting a decade of Formula 1 puts the country in a global spotlight usually reserved for the sport's established hosts, and it shows how seriously African nations are now competing for the biggest events in world sport. It also signals that the continent's ambition goes well beyond participating. African countries want to host, shape and profit from the top tier.
There is still plenty to learn, from the exact timeline to the shape of the project. But the headline is clear: a 10-year commitment, a historic return, and a new chapter for African motorsport. For a generation of fans who have only seen F1 through a screen, the sound of engines on African soil is finally on the horizon.
