Latest news with #SAF1GP
The South African
05-07-2025
- Business
- The South African
Cape Town organisers fuming over ‘flawed' SA F1 GP bid process
It's been quite a fortnight for the SA F1 GP bid. Initially, news was upbeat when the Kyalami GP Circuit's upgrades were approved by the FIA. Described as 'soft-touch' enhancements by officials, all looked on track for a successful 2028 SA F1 GP bid. Then reports emerged that Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie was jetting off to last weekend's Austrian GP. His goal was to ratify the Kyalami SA F1 GP bid with Formula One Management (FOM) as soon as possible. However, there was made no mention made of a Cape Town Grand Prix South Africa (CTGPSA) bid being prepared in parallel. A Cape Town Grand Prix would have followed the circuit that Formula E raced on successfully two years' ago. Image: File Now, CTGPSA officials are calling the SA F1 GP bid process 'flawed' and calling into question the Sports Minister's conduct. Accused of favouring the Kyalami Circuit, CTGPSA CEO Igshaan Amlay has come out swinging, reports TopAuto . Amlay envisaged a high-profile F1 race on a Herman Tilke-designed track in and around the streets of Cape Town's DHL Stadium. The race would draw tourists from all over the world and the unrivalled beauty of the Atlantic seaboard would make for stunning TV coverage. However, with the Sports Minister suddenly jetting off to Austria to shore-up the Kyalami GP race in Gauteng, Amlay says he is entirely disillusioned with the SA F1 GP bid process. A Cape Town F1 race would have been more scenic for TV coverage and a more attractive tourist destination for international visitors. Image: File Furthermore, Amlay explains that the SA F1 GP Bid Steering Committee (BSC) required a R10 million deposit for all applications to bring an event to the country. When he asked what the SA F1 GP bid money was for, the BSC gave no explanation or timeline other than it would be refunded if unsuccessful. 'Payment of R10 million to support an open SA F1 GP bid should not be the determining factor. We were given fewer than 10 days to submit our entire proposal, including the R10-million deposit. And we take issue with Gayton McKenzie's remarks that a future F1 race would happen at Kyalami, well before the BSC was even created,' Amlay said. 1993 is the last time an F1 race was held in South Africa. Image: File As a result, the CTGPSA CEO believes the entire SA F1 GP bid process was inherently biased towards the Kyalami Circuit from the start. In response to Amlay's accusations, the Department of Sports, Arts, and Culture has labelled them as 'utterly baseless.' Furthermore, the department says all submissions were judged fairly. 'All bids were judged fairly and objectively by the BSC. And the minister was not a part of that process in any way. As such, CTGPSA's allegations are utterly baseless,' the department said. Kyalami GP Circuit owners and government officials await to hear FOM's verdict on a future in Africa. Image: File Interestingly, the sport's supremo Stefano Domenicali recently confirmed that a successful 2028 SA F1 GP bid must replace an existing race. This is because the F1 race calendar cannot exceed the allotment of 24 races annually. Also, the FIA and FOM are looking for sustainable races. As such, the sport does not want to come to a particular location for only one or two years and leave. Likewise, South Africa isn't the only country looking to join the F1 calendar. Rwanda has been long talked about. And there's an exciting new street race in Bangkok, Thailand. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The South African
24-06-2025
- Automotive
- The South African
Make or break meeting for SA F1 GP this weekend in Austria
Major steps to secure a multi-billion-Rand SA F1 GP deal will be taken this weekend in Spielberg, Austria. The Formula 1 circus moves on to the Red Bull Ring in the Styrian mountains this weekend, but it's not just on-track action that will be top of mind for F1 fans. Numerous media reports confirm that South African Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie, and other officials, are en route for the make or break SA F1 GP meeting. If speculation is to be believed, it's understood the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit will make a long-awaited return to the F1 calendar after 35 years (in 2028). Here's what an SA F1 GP looked like 32-years ago, in 1993. Image: File There are multiple projects aligned with F1's mission to add new races to its existing 24-race calendar (Rwanda, Thailand, etc). However, it's the missing continent of Africa that holds the greatest appeal. Just last week, the Kyalami GP Circuit near Johannesburg had its upgrade plans approved by the FIA. Circuit owner Toby Venter described the necessary upgrades to move from Grade 2 to F1-ready Grade 1 as 'light touch.' The FIA gave the circuit three years (till 2028) to complete the necessary work. And now the Sports Minister and other officials are preparing to secure the major SA F1 GP deal. Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie, Gauteng Premier Lesufi and Kyalami's Toby Venter at Kyalami. Image: File 'We will meet with Formula One Management (FOM) in Austria this week,' an upbeat McKenzie told eNCA . FOM refers to the Liberty Media-owned F1 management team that will be at the Austrian GP this weekend. 'We want to submit an official SA F1 GP bid. The week after that – on Tuesday 1 July 2025 – we will announce who our winning SA F1 GP promoter will be. After that, it is all in the hands of Formula 1,' McKenzie revealed. The historic Kyalami circuit has hosted no less than 21 F1 races over the years, until its last in 1993. Circuit owners have engaged with Apex Circuit Design – known for the Miami Grand Prix project – to oversee the necessary F1-ready circuit upgrades. 'We have a circuit (Kyalami GP), we will have a promoter, and we have the biggest motorsport community in Africa. Bring on the SA F1 GP,' concluded McKenzie – with GMM Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
