Stunning $150 MILLION F1 return hinted

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Stunning $150 MILLION F1 return hinted

An expensive F1 return has been teased

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Sunday 15 December 2024 13:58 Updated: 19:52

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A Formula 1 return has been hinted at in a move that could reportedly cost a stunning $150 million.

As F1 has soared in popularity since Liberty Media acquired ownership of the sport in 2017, new venues have clamoured to join the ever-growing calendar.

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Recent additions to the F1 calendar have included Miami and Las Vegas, with the sport continuing to expand their global presence.

Red Bull star Max Verstappen claimed the 2024 title around the street circuit in Vegas, adding even more of a party atmosphere than usual to the modern track this season.

One continent that remains absent from the calendar is Africa, with the last race being the 1993 South African Grand Prix held in Kyalami.

Kyalami hosted the last F1 race in Africa

Will F1 race in Rwanda?

However, F1 have now edged closer to hosting a race in Africa, after the Rwandan President, Paul Kagame, announced their bid to host a grand prix.

If a deal is struck for a grand prix in Rwanda, the race would be held on a new track planned just outside of Kigali, close to the new Bugesera airport

Former F1 driver and the chairman of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association, Alexander Wurz, will reportedly design the track and has already started working on the project with local advisers, companies and authorities.

The FIA's 2024 prize giving ceremony was hosted in Kigali

However, the cost of the new endeavour is expected to be high, with the track build alone expected to amount to $150 million according to La Gazzetta dello Sport, which is more than 1 per cent of Rwanda’s annual GDP.

Kagame did not seem deterred by the work ahead of him however, as he claimed he wanted Rwanda to be the Singapore of Africa, reaffirming his commitment to the project.

"I can assure you that we are facing the opportunity with seriousness and commitment and that is why I am happy to announce Rwanda's candidacy to host a Formula One GP," Kagame added.

Max Verstappen Liberty Media Kyalami