Formula 1 Signs 10-Year Rwanda Deal for African Grand Prix

Published October 13, 2026

Illustrative view of Kigali by Protais Benjamin MUGENZI / Unsplash. The image does not show the proposed Bugesera circuit.

Formula 1 has signed a 10-year agreement to stage an African Grand Prix in Rwanda, bringing the championship back to the continent for the first time since 1993. The deal is firm, but the first race is not: a new circuit must be completed before Rwanda joins the calendar in the early 2030s.

Formula 1 announced the agreement on October 13, 2026. The event will be formally called the Formula 1 African Grand Prix, presented by Visit Rwanda, and will take place at a purpose-built venue in Bugesera, approximately 40 kilometres south of Kigali.

A new Grade 1 circuit near Kigali

According to Formula 1, the circuit will be built next to the new Kigali International Airport and designed to FIA Grade 1 standards, the certification required for a venue to host a Formula 1 race. The organizers say the design will use the area’s natural elevation changes and provide strong viewing opportunities around the course.

The venue is planned as more than a race track. Formula 1 and the Rwanda Development Board describe it as a year-round site for motorsport, conferences, entertainment and other major events. Those economic and tourism benefits are promoter projections; the announcement did not provide a construction budget, financing breakdown, final circuit layout or completion schedule.

That distinction matters because the 10-year hosting agreement does not guarantee a specific debut season. Formula 1 said the first race will happen after the circuit is completed, which it expects in the early 2030s. The exact inaugural date, construction milestones and race-weekend plans will be announced later.

F1’s first African race since 1993

Formula 1 last raced in Africa at South Africa’s Kyalami circuit in 1993. A Rwandan round would therefore end a gap of at least 37 years if the new venue opens in 2030, and longer if construction pushes the debut farther into the decade.

F1 says more than 100 million people follow the championship across Africa and that almost 60% of fans in key Sub-Saharan African markets are younger than 35. The series has been discussing an African return for years, while Rwanda formally announced its intention to pursue a race in December 2024.

F1 President and CEO Stefano Domenicali called the agreement a “landmark moment” and said the return would give the championship a race on every inhabited continent. Rwandan President Paul Kagame described the project as a long-term investment in jobs, skills, tourism and business rather than a single race weekend.

Those statements outline the partners’ goals, not independently verified outcomes. The project’s economic effect will depend on its construction cost, public and private financing, attendance, international travel demand and the amount of local business generated once the event begins.

What still needs to happen

Build the circuit: The Bugesera venue does not yet exist as a Formula 1-ready track.
Earn FIA Grade 1 approval: Design approval is not the same as final homologation; the completed circuit must satisfy the FIA’s safety and infrastructure requirements.
Set the inaugural date: Formula 1 has only committed to the early 2030s, not a specific season or race weekend.
Publish operational details: Ticketing, support races, transport plans, capacity and the final layout remain unannounced.

The long lead time is unusual for everyday race-calendar news but understandable for a new permanent circuit and its surrounding infrastructure. It also means the event will not affect the current championship battle. Max Verstappen’s 2026 Singapore Grand Prix victory remains part of a calendar that will continue unchanged by the Rwanda agreement in the near term.

The Rwanda project arrives as governing bodies and organizers reconsider how motorsport should grow. The FIA is separately asking fans to help shape future touring-car rules, while the African Grand Prix deal addresses a geographic gap at the top of the sport.

Primary source: Formula 1’s October 13, 2026 announcement.

Featured image: Illustrative view of Kigali by Protais Benjamin MUGENZI via Unsplash. The image does not show the proposed Bugesera circuit.