Formula 1 confirms 10-year Rwanda deal for African Grand Prix from early 2030s Formula 1 will return to Africa with a 10-year Grand Prix contract in Rwanda starting in the early 2030s, racing at a purpose-built Grade 1 circuit in Bugesera near Kigali. Rwanda will host a Formula 1 race from the early 2030s after the sport confirmed a 10-year contract for an African Grand Prix. The announcement was made on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, at a launch event in Kigali, the Rwandan capital. It marks F1's return to Africa after about 40 years. The race will take place at a purpose-built track in Bugesera, southeast of Kigali. The circuit will be built near an airport under construction that will serve the capital. It is set to be completed early in the next decade, and the precise starting date of the contract was not specified.F1 confirmed the news on Tuesday, stating the race would be held in the early 2030s. The announcement was made at a launch event in Kigali. The track will be developed to the FIA Grade 1 standards required for F1 racing. F1 said it will be designed to work in harmony with the natural landscape, using the area's elevation changes, hills and dips to create a unique and challenging racing experience.President Kagame Calls Deal Continental MilestoneIt will also offer exceptional viewing opportunities for fans and will be used for other international motorsport events during the rest of the year. Rwandan President Paul Kagame spoke at the launch event in Kigali. This partnership is long overdue, he said. But it is a success and a milestone for the entire continent, especially for the African fans.Ultimately, what we want is for the African Grand Prix to pave the way for other races to be hosted on the continent. Kagame also said the moment belongs to Africa. For more than three decades, the world's premier motorsport championship has raced without this continent, and that changes with this agreement, he said.Rwanda is proud to host the Formula 1 African Grand Prix, and to share this moment with more than 100 million fans across Africa, many of them young people who deserve to see the sport at home and to see themselves in it: as engineers, technicians, entrepreneurs and, one day, drivers. This ten-year partnership is also an investment in Rwanda's future, Kagame said.The circuit in Bugesera, alongside the new international airport, will bring jobs, skills, tourism and new business to our country and our region for decades to come, because our aim was never a single race weekend, but a lasting benefit for our people. F1 President and chief executive Stefano Domenicali called it a landmark moment. Today is a landmark moment for Formula 1, he said.F1 Chief Calls Africa Return Landmark MomentWith Rwanda joining the calendar from the next decade, our sport will race in every inhabited continent, bringing the World Championship closer than ever to fans around the globe. Africa has always been part of Formula 1's future, Domenicali said. From the beginning we were determined to return in the right way, with the right partner, a long-term commitment and a clear vision for creating meaningful impact.He thanked Kagame, the Government of Rwanda, the Rwanda Development Board, FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem and everyone whose dedication and collaboration made this possible. The deal fulfils a long-held ambition for seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, the only Black driver in F1. As recently as last weekend's Singapore Grand Prix, the 41-year-old British driver spoke of the importance of F1 returning to Africa. I've always said that we need to have a Grand Prix in Africa, Hamilton said.It is, for me, the most important continent and the most beautiful continent. We're on all the other continents but that one and there should be no reason for it. It's something I've been pushing for in the background and Stefano's been amazing. He's flown to Africa so many times over the last couple of years speaking to lots of different people and so I hope he has some news for me soon.The last F1 race on the continent was the South African Grand Prix in 1993 at the Kyalami circuit near Johannesburg. Africa was absent from the calendar for more than three decades. Rwanda becomes the first confirmed new host nation for F1 since Qatar and Saudi Arabia joined the schedule in 2021. Rwanda has long sought to make a mark in world sports, and hosting F1 would take that strategy to a new level.Critics Accuse Rwanda of Sportswashing TacticsUnder Kagame, Rwanda has sponsored major European soccer teams and developed a basketball partnership with the NBA, as well as hosting the world cycling championships. The efforts aim to promote a positive image of a country still often known internationally because of the 1994 genocide. Critics have accused Rwanda of sportswashing to divert attention from Kagame's rights record.Rwanda has faced accusations from the United Nations that it has backed rebels in neighbouring Congo, and Congolese officials have condemned its soccer sponsorships. The F1 deal could bring further scrutiny over human rights concerns. Kagame said Rwanda aims to use the race to develop sports infrastructure and tourism and to diversify revenue. Residents in Kigali see economic opportunity.Betty Mukamurenzi, a university IT student, told the Associated Press that the country will be watched on the global stage and that this comes with investments and creations of jobs, especially for the youth. Businessman James Ruzindana said that for businesses, it is a challenge to up their game in terms of having the right products that can be consumed by those who are visiting.Rival Projects in South Africa and MoroccoThere have been rival projects to bring F1 back to Africa, with plans in recent years regarding three different potential venues in South Africa and one in Morocco. F1 also held a Moroccan Grand Prix in 1958, the only time Morocco was part of the world championship. A project was announced last year to build a track to bring F1 back to the North African nation but there have been few updates since.South Africa Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie issued a statement last week congratulating Rwanda, even before the decision was official, but still insisted his country will get F1 too. We are happy for Rwanda's 2030 F1. They have worked on it longer than SA and deserve it, he said. Remember tho