F1 to race in Rwanda from early 2030s as Congo objects

Formula 1 will hold an African Grand Prix in Rwanda under a 10-year deal starting in the early 2030s, F1 and President Paul Kagame announced Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026, and the Democratic Republic of Congo has since protested.

The race, on a track yet to be built, would be F1’s first on the continent since the 1993 South African Grand Prix, and the first new host country since Qatar and Saudi Arabia joined in 2021, the Associated Press reported.

Kagame announced the deal at a ceremony in Kigali with F1 president and CEO Stefano Domenicali and FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, Al Jazeera reported. He called the partnership “long overdue” and “a milestone for the continent.” Domenicali called Africa “the missing piece” of the championship’s global footprint.

The circuit is to be built near Bugesera International Airport, about 40 kilometres from Kigali, Al Jazeera reported. It is planned at six kilometres with 17 corners and a climb of 197 metres per lap, built to the FIA’s top Grade 1 standard. Alex Wurz, a former Austrian racing driver, runs the design firm behind the layout. The exact date of the first race has not been announced, and neither report gave financial terms.

Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton had pressed for an African race for years. “We need to have a Grand Prix in Africa,” he said at the Singapore Grand Prix last week, according to Al Jazeera. Defending champion Max Verstappen said he hoped the plan “can be pushed through,” and noted that the deal still has to be confirmed.

Congo’s response came two days later. Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner said on Thursday, Oct. 15, that a race in Rwanda would “polish the image of an authoritarian leader,” Al Jazeera reported. She said she had warned F1 in February 2025 that hosting a Rwandan Grand Prix would be “morally indefensible,” and called for “credible, independent guarantees” that race funding does not come from conflict minerals.

Congo, the United States and UN experts accuse Rwanda of backing the M23 rebel group in eastern Congo. Rwanda says its security measures guard against armed groups operating across its border. Al Jazeera reported that the U.S. sanctioned Rwanda’s military and four senior officers in March over their support for M23, which Rwanda rejected as one-sided. The Associated Press noted that human rights groups accuse Kagame’s government of repressive methods, and that the race could renew “sportswashing” accusations as Rwanda has already sponsored European soccer clubs and hosted the world cycling championships.

Kagame said the race will support sports infrastructure, tourism and revenue diversification. The AP put Rwanda’s gross domestic product per capita at just over $1,100 US. Kigali student Betty Mukamurenzi told the AP she expects investment and jobs, especially for young people.

The announcement leaves other African bids in doubt. South Africa’s sports minister, Gayton McKenzie, congratulated Rwanda but said South Africa “will get F1” too, the AP reported. F1’s statement did not mention South Africa. Congo said it backs the South African effort.

For Canadians, the nearest practical issue is travel. Canada’s travel advisory for Rwanda, last updated Sept. 9, 2026, tells travellers to take normal security precautions but to exercise a high degree of caution near the Congo border, including the town of Gisenyi, and it reports active fighting, including shelling, in Rubavu District. It also restricts border crossings into Congo during an Ebola outbreak. The fighting and the outbreak are covered in our reports on former Congolese president Joseph Kabila joining M23 and on Congo’s Ebola toll. No Canadian government comment on the Grand Prix was found.

What happens next is not yet set. F1 has given no race date, and the track has to be built before any event can be scheduled.

Via the Associated Press and Al Jazeera.

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