F1 have announced a 10-year-deal for new track and fans HATE the proposed layout

F1 made a historic announcement on Tuesday with the confirmation that the sport will be returning to Africa for the first time since 1993.

While many expected South Africa and an updated Kyalami circuit (who hosted the last race) to be the venue to put F1 back on the continent, there has been a bit of a switcheroo.

Instead F1 is now heading to Rwanda in a race that will be officially titled the African Grand Prix presented by Visit Rwanda. It is no small deal either.

That's because the race's initial contract is to hold 10 races and at this point you are probably wondering why I haven't told you when it's coming on to the calendar.

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F1 is heading to Rwanda...soon

The answer is quite a simple one, no-one knows. F1 officially say its from the 'early 2030s' so 2030 as a provisional date and then we can give it a few more years after that.

There is a very good reason for this, it's because Rwanda doesn't yet have a race track even close to being fit to hosting an F1 grand prix, so it is starting from scratch.

Thankfully, some thought has already gone into this, and F1 have kindly shared a computer generated image (that you can see here) of what the track will look like in Bugesera.

The good news is that it is not a street circuit. In fact, it's quite a scenic location away from massive built-up areas, just like old traditional race circuits.

There are undulating areas of the track too, but F1 fans are still not happy about it.

In the comments under the unveiling of the track on the F1 twitter page, many feared it was a replica of the unpopular Madring street circuit which made its debut for the 2026 Spanis Grand Prix last month.

Fans fear another Madring

One fan said: F***ing stop I beg this is Madring 2.0 literally", with another adding "F1 = building a new track with no overtake opportunities".

The pile on continued, with another fan saying: "Bunch of nonsense turns, small-ass straight, apparently no heavy braking zone. Yeah, it's gonna be great racing there."

The FIA were also criticised with a fan adding: "Can't see a long straight. Can't see long, overtaking high-speed corners. The FIA are killing the sport with poorly designed tracks."

Not all of the feedback was negative thought, one defender of the circuit said: "The elevation changes could make this really interesting. I just hope they leave enough room for overtaking because nobody wants 60 laps of cars following each other around a beautiful circuit."

Another added: "At least it's not a street circuit.". One fan had similar sentiments, saying: "I like it, more tracks like this and less trash like Miami, Madring etc."

The circuit will be 40 kilometres south of the capital city of Kigali, adjacent to its new international airport, and will be an FIA Grade 1 standard as part of a wider sports, tourism, infrastructure and commercial development project led by the Rwanda Development Board.

F1 president: This is for 100million fans

F1 president Stefano Domenicali said: “Today is a landmark moment for Formula 1.

“With Rwanda joining the calendar from the next decade, our sport will race in every inhabited continent, bringing the world championship closer than ever to fans around the globe.

“Africa has always been part of Formula 1’s future, and from the beginning we were determined to return in the right way, with the right partner, a long-term commitment and a clear vision for creating meaningful impact.

“I would like to thank His Excellency Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda, the Government of Rwanda, the Rwanda Development Board, FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem and everyone whose dedication and collaboration have made this possible.

“This is about much more than hosting a grand prix. Together, we can create lasting economic and social benefits through tourism, investment, skills development and local business growth, ensuring the positive impact of this event is felt for generations.

“For our fans, this is an especially exciting moment. Africa is home to more than 100 million Formula 1 fans, and that number continues to grow rapidly. We are bringing the excitement, energy and drama of Formula 1 closer to millions of people who have waited a long time to see our sport return to the continent, and we look forward to writing an exciting new chapter together.”

How long is each F1 track's contract?

* Contracted event may move to a different circuit; precise expiry details may require confirmation.
** Rotational hosting arrangements apply.
Rwanda's inaugural race year and contract expiry remain to be confirmed.

FIRST LOOK! The plans for the purpose-built circuit in Bugesera, Rwanda 🇷🇼

Located 40 kilometres south of Kigali, the circuit will be designed to work in harmony with the natural landscape and use the area’s elevation changes to create a unique and challenging racing experience

#F1

— Formula 1 (@F1) October 13, 2026

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Written by

Dan Ripley - Global Editor

I've been a massive F1 fan since the mid 1990s and continue to study the history of the sport long before that. As an experienced motor sport reporter covering F1, MotoGP and the LeMans 24 Hour race, being part of GPFans has allowed me to work with a diverse team with all sorts of different backgrounds in watching the sport and given me a greater appreciation of F1.

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