Verstappen reflects on F1 in Africa after FIA community service

Max Verstappen has championed grassroots motorsport in Africa, arguing it is “important” for F1 and the FIA to be in Rwanda.

The nation’s capital, Kigali, is hosting the end-of-season FIA prize giving gala, where the Dutchman will receive the F1 drivers’ championship trophy for a fourth-consecutive time.

Prior to the event, it was confirmed Rwanda was bidding to host an F1 grand prix, something that would bring the championship back to the African continent for the first time in over 30 years, since South Africa last held a race in 1993.

Whilst in Kigali, the 27-year-old completed his FIA-sanctioned community service for swearing during a press conference at the Singapore Grand Prix in September.

In fulfilment of that, Verstappen attended the grassroots development programme at the Rwanda Automobile Club (RAC), which aims to provide access and opportunities in motorsport.

The Red Bull driver expressed his excitement at the prospect of how motorsport will grow in Africa in the years to come.

“In the whole world, everything is getting more and more expensive, so the more you can build [motorsports] in your own country, the more you make it affordable for kids,” the 63-time grand prix winner said.

“I think it’s great to have that possibility, and I hope it stimulates all these kids so that they want to be a racing driver, an engineer, in the future.

“It has massive potential and that is what I think everyone is working on… trying to make everyone very enthusiastic. It doesn’t matter where in the world you come from, anything is possible.

That’s why I also think it’s important that we’re here. I’m very excited to see that hopefully in five to ten years, there are more people coming through [into motorsports].”