Editorial: Rwanda—here today, gone tomorrow

Formula 1 and Rwanda appear to be moving closer to a future Grand Prix. While a return to Africa is appealing, is Rwanda the right choice, especially since Kyalami has been waiting its turn for so long?

“They are serious,” said Stefano Domenicali, CEO of Formula 1, referring to the people behind this latest proposal. The idea is bold and unconventional: the fastest single-seaters in the world could make a comeback in Africa, this time in Rwanda.

This would be a welcome development, as the sport has not visited the continent since 1993, when Alain Prost won for Williams. But is Rwanda the ideal location? The country is eager to host major events and is showing promising economic growth, but some observers remain skeptical and have expressed reservations.

Further south, South Africa has long been on F1's radar. The country hosted races in East London in 1962, 1963, and 1965, then at Kyalami from 1967 to 1985, and again in 1992 and 1993. Although Kyalami does not currently have the FIA Grade 1 certification required for a Grand Prix, modest improvements could bring it up to standard at a much lower cost than a completely new circuit. The revival of Kyalami would be a nostalgic nod to the era when legends such as Senna, Lauda, and Prost made history, and it would cost much less than starting from scratch.

For now, however, Rwanda is in pole position. Fans hoping for Kyalami's return will have to be patient, or even resign themselves to the idea that it may never happen. Even if the Rwandan venue does not yet draw crowds, the simple fact that F1 is returning to Africa after more than three decades is a positive step towards a truly global championship. It could also bring a smile to Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time champion who has been campaigning for an African Grand Prix for months. With Domenicali at the helm, the sport could be in for a surprise, good or bad. Since his arrival, the Italian has been criticized for giving F1 a somewhat artificial image, so enthusiasm for a race in Rwanda should be tempered by caution. Take Vietnam, for example: the calendar is still waiting. Key questions remain: can Rwanda maintain its economic stability? Will it avoid dubious financing or shady deals, and can it sustain a Grand Prix in the long term? Former venues such as India, Valencia, and Malaysia disappeared from the calendar after only a few years. Rwanda's economic data is encouraging: a GDP of $13.31 billion in 2022, up from $220 million in 1970, shows steady growth. But the real test will be whether these finances will be sufficient to support an F1 Grand Prix for more than a season or two, or whether this event will become another short-lived chapter in the history of the sport.