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Formula 1’s Pursuit of a Race in Africa: Current Status and Future Prospects
Stefano Domenicali, the CEO of Formula 1, recently shared insights into the ongoing efforts to establish a grand prix in Africa. He emphasized that while the initiative is not on hold, it currently lacks certain essential guarantees.
The push to reintroduce Formula 1 to Africa aims to achieve a race on the continent for the first time since 1993, thereby competing on all six inhabited continents. Rwanda has expressed interest in hosting a race near Kigali, close to the under-construction Bugesera International Airport.
In South Africa, the government department for culture and sport has issued a tender aimed at fostering the organization of a grand prix in the country. The leading contenders for the event include the Kyalami circuit, which previously hosted the South African Grand Prix in 1993, and a proposed street circuit in Cape Town’s Green Point district, which would incorporate features from the Formula E race held in 2023.
Despite these developments, the plans are still in the early stages. When asked if the ambitions for a race in Africa were currently stalled, Domenicali rejected that characterization, stating, “That’s not the right word. Before taking that step, we need guarantees on three fronts: investment that benefits the community beyond F1’s presence, infrastructure (not just a circuit, but hotels, roads, airports), and an economic base that can support the event long-term.”
According to him, the organization is not simply waiting idly; they are actively assessing what remains to be finalized before proceeding with the plans. “We’re not on standby – we’re working to assess what’s still missing before we can say, ‘Okay, let’s go.’ But we’re not there yet,” Domenicali added.
Domenicali also confirmed that any grand prix in Africa would be part of an expanded 24-race calendar, which he considers the maximum feasible number of races for the championship. He hinted that one approach to ensure a race’s success on the continent could be for Formula 1 to take an active role in planning and promoting the event, akin to their recent strategy with the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
Reflecting on the economic impact of the Las Vegas event, Domenicali noted that the championship’s promotional model had yielded positive results. He believes that the race has significant untapped potential, especially in justifying the initial investments made. “It’s been a big success. But as with any new project, you can’t expect to recoup investment immediately. If we judge the event itself, Las Vegas has clearly been a win for F1,” he remarked. He also pointed out that the media exposure has facilitated valuable commercial deals that might have been difficult to secure otherwise.
“I won’t deny the costs for the local community have been high. Starting this year, the Las Vegas GP is fully under our central management – the organisational team now reports directly to us,” he continued. Domenicali mentioned that they have restructured their approach to accelerate the return on investment and are seeking greater involvement from local investors.
He highlighted that the economic impact of the Las Vegas weekend has been enormous, surpassing that of events like the Super Bowl, and provided substantial financial benefits to the local community. “We must keep investing and believing in the project. Let’s not forget: while we’ve made great strides in the U.S., there’s still huge growth potential – we must keep increasing our visibility,” he concluded, underlining the ongoing commitment to expanding Formula 1’s footprint globally.
Source
www.autosport.com