Potential F1 venue issues defiant ‘it’s coming here’ GP statement

South Africa has again pitched its hat into the ring to host an F1 grand prix, throwing itself into direct conflict with fellow African nation Rwanda.

It is now 31 years since F1 last raced on the continent, since when there have long been calls for a return, especially from seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton, who has made it his goal to compete there before he retires.

F1 was poised to return to Kyalami, in South Africa, and the last African venue to host a GP in 1993, only for political interference to wreck the bid.

Although Kyalami currently holds Grade 2 status with the FIA, it requires considerable improvement to turn it into a Grade 1 facility fit to host F1, although it is in a far healthier position than Rwanda.

The land-locked East African nation in the Rift Valley has been in talks with F1 throughout the year. At the opening ceremony for the FIA General Assembly and prize-giving gala in its capital, Kigali, President Paul Kagame officially confirmed it had lodged a bid.

Although GPDA chairman and former F1 driver Alex Wurz has been working on the project of delivering a circuit, the prospect of a race in the country is a few years away.

Gayton McKenzie, the minister of Sports, Arts and Culture of South Africa, feels his country would be ready to stage F1 in 2027.

“Let me tell you, when I announced that my term would be a failure if we don’t bring F1, everybody laughed because South Africans underestimate themselves,” he told Supersport. “I believe this, I’m not just saying this

“I said, ‘I’m going to start the work’. My team will put in the work, we made the calls, and we’ve met with F1 twice

“Where we are at the moment, and it’s the first time people hear this, we are going to announce a committee. The committee will then choose which promoter will promote F1. It’s going to happen.

“The race is going to happen at Kyalami. Kyalami is doing what they need to do.”

McKenzie claims circuit bosses Toby Venter and Willie Venter “are doing a great job bringing Kyalami to F1 standards”, and that “they have put money in there. It is there.”

The Venters have met with Apex Circuit Design Ltd, who delivered the Miami GP circuit around the Hard Rock Stadium, in a bid to raise the venue to F1 standards.

McKenzie said: “We are making sure that we are going to host, so I think we are looking at 2027. We are there, it’s going to happen. It’s coming here.”