Formula One will return to Africa, with a newly-built circuit in Bugesera, Rwanda, confirmed as the venue for the African Grand Prix. F1 chiefs announced the event will return to the calendar "in the early 2030s," marking the first world championship race on the continent since the 1990s.
The news will delight Lewis Hamilton, who has campaigned for F1 to return to Africa for many years. However, he will turn 45 before the 2030 season begins, and the wait may be even longer. No specific year was confirmed for the inaugural Rwanda race, with F1 stating only that the event will be held for at least 10 years from when it is eventually staged for the first time.
Hamilton's long campaign for an African Grand Prix
Whether Hamilton will line up on the grid for that first race in Rwanda remains to be seen. He has yet to make a public comment about the news, but it is safe to assume he will be delighted to see that F1 is heading back to Africa.
He previously said: "I've always said that we need to have a Grand Prix in Africa. It is, for me, the most important continent and the most beautiful continent. We're on all the other continents but not that one, and there should be no reason for it."
"It's something I've been pushing for in the background and Stefano [Domenicali, F1 chief executive] has been amazing – he has flown to Africa so many times over the last couple of years, speaking to lots of different people."
Drivers back the return to Africa
Hamilton is not the only one. Fellow Brit George Russell, a director of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association, recently said: "It's about time we had a race there." Max Verstappen also thinks it would be "great" to race in Africa and said: "I really hope it can be pushed through."
It would be fitting if Hamilton, still the only black driver to have raced in the F1 world championship, gets the chance to form part of the grid when the sport returns to Africa. Time, however, may be against him.
Age and calendar constraints
Hamilton is 41 years old and will turn 45 before the 2030 season begins. That is the earliest possible year in which the African Grand Prix could be held, due to the fact the circuit and its supporting infrastructure have not yet been constructed, and because many other venues have long-term contracts, leaving few gaps on the annual F1 calendar in the coming years.
There is no guarantee that the 10-year deal will begin exactly in 2030. F1's press release issued on Tuesday simply said Rwanda will start hosting races "in the early 2030s." Even without any potential further delays, there is a chance Hamilton will be 47 or 48 years old by the time F1 can head to Africa again.
That does not rule him out. Fernando Alonso is currently 45 and will turn 46 next summer, when he will still be racing for Aston Martin after penning a contract extension. He is living, modern-day proof that a driver can still compete at this level into their mid-40s with enough physical training.
So Hamilton may get the chance to live one of his final racing dreams and hit the track in Africa. But to do so he will need to keep himself at peak physical fitness and hope his body holds up. Plus, he will need for the competitive fire to still be burning inside. But confirmation of F1's return to Africa will certainly help on that front.
