A purpose-built circuit near Kigali will host the sport's first African Grand Prix since 1993 under a 10-year deal.
Formula 1 announced on Tuesday, Oct. 13 that it is returning to Africa for the first time in more than 30 years, with a new African Grand Prix set to launch in Rwanda in the "early 2030s." The last time F1 raced on the continent was in 1993.
The race will run on a new track built in Bugesera, roughly 40 kilometers south of Kigali, next to the new Kigali International Airport, which is scheduled for completion in 2028. The circuit is designed to use the area's elevation changes to create what F1 describes as a unique and challenging layout, and the site will also serve as a year-round event space. The agreement to host the race in Rwanda runs for 10 years.
F1 said in its announcement that there are more than 100 million fans across Africa, with 60 percent of Sub-Saharan followers under the age of 35. Once the Rwanda race joins the calendar, F1 will have a Grand Prix on every continent except Antarctica.
"Today is a landmark moment for Formula 1," F1 president Stefano Domenicali said in a statement announcing the deal.