Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has reaffirmed the sport’s commitment to bringing a Grand Prix to Africa, but admitted key assurances are still missing.
The discussions over returning to the continent have been ongoing over recent years.
Rwanda has been offered as a potential location to host the race, on the outskirts of its capital, Kigali, near the under-construction Bugesera International Airport.
One of the frontrunners, however, is a return to the Kyalami motor racing circuit, just north of Johannesburg, which hosted the last Grand Prix in Africa back in 1993.
The final contender is for a street track in Cape Town, but a final decision on the matter is yet to be finalised, according to Domenicali.
However, when asked if the talks were put on hold, the Italian, who has penned a contract extension to remain in his role, was quick to disagree with that statement.
“That’s not the right word,” Domenicali told Autosport.
“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.
“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: Las Vegas GP has been ‘a big success’
F1 has raced in all but one permanently inhabited continent for the last 32 years, with a race in Africa adding a sixth continent to the calendar.
The proposed Grand Prix wouldn’t add to the number of races, instead becoming a part of the 24 rounds, the maximum amount Domenicali is willing to approve.
Like the Las Vegas Grand Prix, a suggestion has been put forward that the African continent promote the race itself.
This comes after Domenicali praised the promotional model of the American race, despite the high costs for the local community.
“It’s been a big success,” he added. “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.
“Beyond the media exposure, it helped us secure commercial deals that would’ve been hard to land 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.
“We’ve revised the structure to accelerate ROI. We want more involvement from local investors.
“The economic impact of the Vegas weekend has been massive for two years running – bigger than the Super Bowl. The local community has seen huge financial benefits.
“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.”
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