BREAKING: F1 seals 10-year Rwanda deal for African Grand Prix
Formula 1 has agreed a 10-year deal with Rwanda to stage a new African Grand Prix in Kigali, with the first race possible from 2030 if construction of the circuit is completed in time. The agreement would bring F1 back to the continent for the first time since the 1993 South African Grand Prix.
The deal was announced on Tuesday, 13 October 2026, at a press conference in Kigali attended by Rwandan president Paul Kagame, F1 president and CEO Stefano Domenicali, and FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem. The race is officially billed as the Formula 1 African Grand Prix, presented by Visit Rwanda.
The agreement follows earlier reports about the proposed return, covered in our report on Rwanda’s plans for an F1 race.
A new circuit is planned near Bugesera airport
The proposed venue is a natural road course yet to be built about 40km south of Kigali, beside the capital’s under-construction Bugesera international airport. Former driver Alex Wurz and his design company are developing the circuit, which is expected to use Kigali’s hilly terrain to shape its layout.
The project forms part of a wider Rwandan Development Board investment plan focused on tourism, infrastructure and commercial development. The agreement’s 10-year term is confirmed, but the inaugural date remains dependent on when the track is ready.
Rwanda frames the deal as a long-term investment
Kagame described the agreement as more than a single race weekend, pointing to expected benefits including jobs, skills, tourism and business. Domenicali also presented the partnership as a long-term commitment, citing potential economic and social gains alongside the opportunity to reach F1 fans across Africa.
Ben Sulayem said the FIA would work with F1 and its partners as the circuit is developed to international standards. Talks between F1 and Rwanda accelerated in 2024 as the country sought to attract major sporting events. Kigali hosted the FIA’s annual Prize Giving Ceremony that year, while the UCI Road World Championships took place there last year.
The Rwanda project looks well beyond the immediate race calendar. For a nearer-term race-weekend read, F1LivePulse’s 2026 Singapore Grand Prix strategy guide examines a different challenge facing teams on the circuit.
Simone Scanu
He’s a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.