Formula 1 has expanded rapidly over the last few years, and is now on every continent but one. There is no Formula 1 race in Africa.

The last time Formula 1 raced in Africa was in South Africa in 1993. Following the end of Apartheid in 1991, the circuit returned to the calendar for two more years, but was not renewed, and the race has not re-entered the calendar since.

With 54 countries on the continent, Formula 1 has lots of options should they wish to return. With over 1.5 billion people, there is significant potential to grow the sport by hosting a race in Africa. Here are some options that could host a race.

South Africa

Of course, the most obvious option would be to return to South Africa. Not only is there already a history of racing at Kyalami, but the track remains in place and available for use.

There were reports that it would return to the calendar in 2023, when President Stefano Domenicali flew down to meet with the ownership group of the track, but it never came to fruition.

Located in suburban Johannesburg, the track is easily accessible by plane; however, South Africa itself is quite far from the other races in the calendar. It would be an expensive undertaking to move all the cars and infrastructure to Midrand and then onward to the next track.

Rwanda

Perhaps a little more feasible would be the small East African nation of Rwanda, which announced a megaproject to bring F1 to just outside the capital, Kigali. The construction project, estimated at $1.2 billion USD, would be huge for the country, with millions of dollars in tourism revenue potentially flowing into the country should it succeed.

While there are concerns around the environmental impact of this project and whether the money could be better used to provide social services for the citizens of the country, the rationale provided is that the money that this brings in would be immense and allow the country to invest even more in economic and social development.

The risk is that Rwanda may not be large enough or have the tourism infrastructure in place to host the hundreds of thousands that attend an F1 race. Between airports, hotels, and roadways, Kigali has not experienced this level of tourism in its history. On top of that, it would be the smallest host city of an F1 race on the calendar, with just Bahrain at around the same size.

Undoubtedly, racing in Kigali would be fascinating and would provide a new and interesting location on the calendar.

Egypt

There has only been one Formula 1 race in Egypt, which was a non-titled race in 1947. However, Egypt seems like a natural location to look at for an F1 race.

Not only is it strategically located near both the Middle East and Europe, allowing for easier movement of cars and infrastructure, but it could also be held in Giza, passing by the Pyramids. The scenery would be immense and provide a tremendous boost to the local Egyptian economy.

While there are no known plans to host a race in Egypt, and the country still faces some political instability, the idea of a race in Egypt would be incredible. It would be one of the most picturesque races on the grid and an ideal location in theory for a Formula 1 race in Africa.

Morocco

Perhaps the most interesting and real options to look at would be a race in Morocco. There is a massive project reportedly underway to build a circuit and other infrastructure just outside of Tangier. Former McLaren team principal Eric Boullier is reportedly heading this project.

Described as “a mini Abu Dhabi”, the plan would be to develop an entirely new destination based solely on tourism around the track. With the location being just 45 minutes from the port at Tangier, and Tangier being a short ferry from Spain, there is an opportunity for teams to setup more comfortable motorhomes right in the paddock.

The country held races back in the early 1900s in Casablanca, with the Casablanca Grand Prix running as a street race through the White City. Morocco is already hosting the 2030 World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal, and has made a name for itself as a tourism destination.

A stable country with the infrastructure to handle large numbers of international tourists, Morocco has the means and willingness to host Formula 1 races going forward. Given its location, stability, and existing infrastructure, it seems like the most likely location for a Formula 1 race in Africa.

What will it take to have a Formula 1 race in Africa

There are already so many races in the Formula 1 calendar that adding a Formula 1 race in Africa would likely necessitate moving a race from another location.

Formual 1 has announced that they won’t be remaining at Zandvoort past the 2026 race, but that is likely far too soon for any of the options on the table, save for South Africa. If the race is to go to either Kigali or Tangier, it would have to be closer to 2029 or 2030.

Some race renewals to watch for are the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Japanese Grand Prix, and Austrian Grand Prix, which are all up in the next five years. With three races in the United States, it feels like the most natural option to remove one from there, but at the end of the day, money talks.

FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem has been very vocal about returning to Africa, but it would take the right logistical option and the right price to make it happen. Fingers crossed, we can see F1 back in Africa before the end of the decade.