Formula 1 president Stefano Domenicali has hailed a new deal to bring the sport back to Africa, ending an absence of nearly 40 years, as a "landmark" achievement. Lewis Hamilton has long pushed for a grand prix on the continent, and the deal marks the end of nearly 10 years of effort by F1's owners, Liberty Media, which has sought an African race since buying the sport at the start of 2017.
Rwanda has signed a 10-year deal to host an African Grand Prix from the "early 2030s", succeeding where Morocco and South Africa have failed. The east-central African country has put together a single plan with the financial backing and ambition to make it work. Morocco never secured the finances, while South Africa had up to four separate projects with different promoters in three locations, which was too much for F1 to manage on an already crowded schedule.
The new circuit is being built in Bugesera, 25 miles south of the capital Kigali, as part of a wider development near a new international airport. The project includes facilities for entertainment, residential use, hotels, spas, sports science and an innovation hub. The site is currently greenfield, but insiders say it should be completed by 2030. The track, designed by former F1 driver Alex Wurz, is envisaged at about 6km (3.7 miles) long with 17 corners and nearly 200m of elevation change, drawing comparisons with Spa-Francorchamps, Suzuka and Mugello.
The race is likely to be controversial, as Rwanda has previously been accused of sportswashing. Domenicali nonetheless called the moment a key one for the sport, saying F1 was "showing the world what it means to be a country that has a vision." President Paul Kagame has backed the project as a way to bring jobs, skills, tourism and new business to Africa and to pave the way for other races on the continent.
Source: BBC Sport · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing