Latest news with #SouthAfricanGrandPrix
The Independent
17-04-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
F1 chief gives update on African GP – with South Africa and Rwanda bidding to host race
F1 chief Stefano Domenicali has revealed there are 'still things missing' from current offers on the table as the sport targets a return to Africa in the near future. F1 has not raced in the African continent since 1993, when the Kyalami circuit on the outskirts of Johannesburg hosted the 33rd and final iteration of the South African Grand Prix. Kyalami is one of two potential options for a return to South Africa, with a street circuit in Cape Town the other realistic offer. Rwanda, which hosted December's FIA prize-giving gala, are also bidding to host a race. Domenicali has long made it known his ambition to return F1 to Africa – the only habitable continent that the sport does not race in – and provided an update, admitting 'we're not there yet.' 'That's not the right word," Domenicali told Autosport, when asked if F1's plans to return to Africa were 'on hold.' "Before taking that step, we need guarantees on three fronts: investment that benefits the community beyond F1's presence, infrastructure, not just a circuit, but hotels, roads, airports), and an economic base that can support the event long-term. "We're not on standby – we're working to assess what's still missing before we can say, 'Okay, let's go.' But we're not there yet.' South Africa's minister for sports, arts and culture, Gayton McKenzie, has previously insisted a race is 'going to happen' – and could take place as soon as 2027. 'Let me tell you, when I announced that my term would be a failure if we don't bring F1, then everybody laughed because South Africans underestimate themselves,' he told Super Sport. 'I said, 'I'm going to start the work'. My team, we put in the work, made the calls, we met with F1 twice. 'Where we are at the moment, and it's the first time people hear this, we are going to announce a committee next week. The committee will then choose which promoter will promote F1, it's going to happen.' The axing of the Dutch Grand Prix after 2026 means there is a spot open on the schedule for 2027 and beyond. The doubtful long-term futures of Imola and Barcelona could also open up another spot on the schedule, with South Korea, Thailand and Argentina also interested in joining the schedule. F1 has not added a new race to the calendar since Las Vegas in 2023, but Madrid is set to join the calendar next year as the new home of the Spanish Grand Prix. The Madrid race's organisers have this week awarded a tender for the construction of the city's street circuit, which is planned around the IFEMA exhibition centre in the Spanish capital.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Latest Cape Town F1 proposal aims to build on World Cup legacy
Motorsport photo The South African government is nearing a decision on which bid to support as it aims to bring Formula 1 back to the country. Organisers behind Cape Town's bid have detailed the latest changes to their street race proposal. Advertisement Earlier bids to revive the South African Grand Prix at Kyalami have failed, but the country's government has promised a new push to bring the series back to the African powerhouse, opening up a bid process earlier this year. A return to a refurbished Kyalami, which last hosted F1 in 1993, and a proposed street race around Cape Town's waterfront appear to be the two main contenders to receive public backing, with a deadline for the bid committee's decision set for the end of April. Cape Town's bid is hoping the central, urban location of its Tilke-designed 5.7km circuit, snaking around the Green Point harbour and utilising the facilities around the DHL Stadium built for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, will help it get across the line. "The latest design has all the bells and whistles," Cape Town GP CEO Igshaan Amlay told "It's partly on the waterfront and it also uses the facilities that have been used for the football World Cup. "We meet all the requirements, with the airport 15 to 20 minutes away from the circuit; we've got a top hospital on site and plenty of hotels within walking distance. What also plays a big role is the natural backdrops of Robben Island, the waterfront and Table Mountain. Cape Town has a lot to offer as our top holiday destination. "We're up against Kyalami, which has a rich Formula 1 history, so it's a street race versus a purpose-built circuit. We'll be waiting to see what the decision will be. Here we could easily accommodate 250,000 people, so it makes it more accessible to more people." Cape Town GP layout Cape Town GP layout Tilke GmbH Tilke GmbH Advertisement Contrary to previous proposals, the latest design would not take the circuit through the DHL Stadium itself but run alongside it, using the venue for the paddock, media centre and hospitality areas. "The purpose of running through the stadium was that it can take a capacity of up to 70,000 people and our intention was to make it accessible to people that can never afford to go to a Formula 1 race," Amlay explained. "After speaking to the circuit's designers, there are a few obstacles and it would be better to actually run along the circuit. "DHL Stadium will be used for the paddocks and the media centre. Everything that was set up for the football World Cup will be reactivated, and it's already existent within the stadium, so we will make full use of it. We will still run through the original Green Point athletics stadium, which has a rich legacy." Even if the government backs either Cape Town or Kyalami, the prospects of an actual F1 return to South Africa are still murky as it would take a compelling bid to convince F1 that it ticks all the right boxes, with the country facing competition from the likes of Thailand, Rwanda and South Korea for a place on the calendar from 2028 and beyond. There are also question marks over how much funding the event will be able to raise through private and public means, with potential corporate sponsors awaiting the government's bid decision. Advertisement "I think Formula 1 has always been looking at getting a race on the African continent, and Lewis Hamilton has also spoken out in favour of it. If you really want to be a world championship, you need a race on the African continent, whether it is in Cape Town, Kyalami or in another African country," Amlay said. "It should have a positive impact on our economy and tourism sector, not only for the city but for the country as a whole." Read Also: Alonso likens Suzuka to uneventful Monaco, amid overtaking drought Why dirty air is such a problem in F1 2025 Amlay has been working on his project of bringing F1 to Cape Town for over two decades to no avail, having previously held talks with then-F1-supremo Bernie Ecclestone, but he feels the momentum is now there to finally realise his dream as F1's popularity has scaled new heights. Advertisement "We've never shied away from any criticism. Whenever people criticised us, we looked at it seriously and made a few changes," he added. "When we pitched the idea in 2016, we had interest from various sponsors and investors. The big problem we had was we didn't get the government's backing. But now there is a big push, and we have a huge following from the younger generation, who have been following Formula 1 and have been supportive of it. "We've come a long way since first envisaging the concept back in 1999, but we've always believed in it. If you believe in something and you persevere, then it will happen."
