Formula 1 will race in Africa for the first time since 1993, with a new African Grand Prix in Rwanda from the early 2030s. At the Kigali announcement, FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem said F1 will return to V8 engines in 2030 and that Rwanda will have them for its first race.
F1 returns to Africa
Formula 1 announced on 13 October 2026 a 10-year deal to hold the Formula 1 African Grand Prix, presented by Visit Rwanda. Rwandan President Paul Kagame, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali and FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem announced it together in Kigali. The last African race was the 1993 South African Grand Prix at Kyalami. Rwanda is the first new host nation since Qatar and Saudi Arabia joined the calendar in 2021.
The circuit
The track doesn’t exist yet. It will be a purpose-built circuit at Bugesera, about 40 km south of Kigali, next to a new international airport under construction. It is being developed to FIA Grade 1 standards as part of a wider sports, tourism and infrastructure project led by the Rwanda Development Board. Alex Wurz’s design firm is designing it. F1 says it will be ready “early in the next decade” and hasn’t named an exact year.
What Ben Sulayem said about V8s
On the panel, Ben Sulayem said the launch of the new V8 will be in 2030, so Rwanda would have those engines in its first-ever race. He added that he has the support of Formula One Management and the manufacturers, and that he is positive it will launch in Rwanda. Earlier this year he said V8s would arrive in 2030 or 2031, and the regulation cycle was expected to end in 2031, so this moves the target forward a year. He also said the future cars should be around 80 kg lighter, with a big reduction in engine development costs.
What isn’t settled
- The rules: the V8 regulations still have to be written, and details such as power output and turbo use are not decided
- The timing: the Rwanda link depends on the circuit being ready, and F1 has only said “early 2030s”, so a V8 debut at the first race isn’t guaranteed
Reaction
Kagame said the partnership is “long overdue” and that he hopes the African Grand Prix will pave the way for other races on the continent. Alex Wurz said more African races could follow, and South Africa’s sports minister insisted his country’s F1 ambitions are alive. Amnesty International criticised the deal, accusing F1 of handing the Rwandan government a “sportswashing trophy”. Rwanda’s leaders present the race as part of a broader push on sport, tourism and economic growth. Lewis Hamilton has long championed a return to Africa.
Why UAE fans will care
Ben Sulayem is Emirati, so a V8 announcement from the FIA’s president carries extra interest here. The Gulf already hosts several rounds, including Abu Dhabi, so the V8 plan and an expanding calendar will matter to the region’s motorsport community. If the V8 return holds, it would reshape F1’s sound and rules for the next era.
Sources: Formula 1, 13 October 2026; Associated Press via NBC News; Reuters via CNBC Africa; Al Jazeera; RacingNews365 and Yahoo Sports (V8 remarks); F1 Fansite (weight target and Amnesty).
