Formula One has signed a 10-year agreement to race in Rwanda, setting up the championship’s return to Africa in the early 2030s after an absence of more than three decades.

The African Grand Prix is planned for a new circuit in Bugesera, about 40 kilometres south of Kigali and beside Rwanda’s new international airport. Formula One and the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile announced the agreement Tuesday.

No exact first-race date yet

The parties have not named the inaugural season or a specific race date. Formula One said the event would join the calendar in the early 2030s, while the FIA said the agreement depends on the circuit receiving the required Grade 1 licence before racing begins.

That distinction matters because the announcement establishes a long-term hosting agreement, not a completed venue or a confirmed date on the current calendar.

Purpose-built circuit planned in Bugesera

Organizers say the year-round motorsport venue will be designed to meet Formula One standards and make use of the area’s natural elevation changes. It is intended to anchor a broader sports and entertainment development near the airport.

Rwandan President Paul Kagame said the project was meant to create skilled jobs, expand tourism and provide opportunities for young people. Formula One chief executive Stefano Domenicali said the deal represents a significant step in the championship’s growth. Those benefits are projections from the partners and will depend on the project’s construction and operation.

First African race since 1993

Africa has hosted Formula One championship races in Morocco and South Africa. The most recent was the 1993 South African Grand Prix at Kyalami.

Rwanda has expanded its profile in international sport in recent years, hosting the 2025 UCI Road World Championships, the 2023 FIFA Congress and the FIA awards in 2024. The country also launched the FIA-supported Rwanda Automobile Club Academy to train young people in motorsport and automotive fields.

What it means for Canadian F1 fans

The agreement adds a new continent to Formula One’s future plans while the Canadian Grand Prix remains the championship’s established stop in Montreal. It does not by itself change Canada’s race or confirm how the broader early-2030s calendar will be arranged.

The next milestones will be the circuit’s development, FIA inspection and confirmation of an inaugural season. Until those steps are completed, the date of Formula One’s African return remains open.

Sources: Reuters, October 13 at 5:36 a.m. EDT; Formula One announcement; FIA announcement; Associated Press; Wikimedia Commons image page.

Lead image: A paved road in Bugesera District, Rwanda, photographed by ROSEMURA250 on June 12, 2024, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. File photo; not the planned Formula One circuit or its construction site.