Lewis Hamilton wants F1 CEO talks over KEY issue

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, Netherlands, 2024 — Photo: © IMAGO

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Hamilton wants F1 CEO talks over KEY issue

The British driver wants to see progress made

Originally written by Rhys Thomas. This version is a translation.

Monday 26 August 2024 15:00

Lewis Hamilton is determined to bring a key issue to the attention of F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali amid ongoing calendar discussions.

The seven-time world champion has cemented himself as a legend in F1, by achieving 105 race victories and as an advocate for important causes outside of the sport.

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Hamilton has raced around the world during his F1 career, but the only inhabited continent he is yet to reach in a racing car is one that would mean a huge deal to him: Africa.

The 1993 South African Grand Prix was the most recent race in the region, and Hamilton has been vocal about his desire to see the sport return to the continent.

Lewis Hamilton has been a trailblazer on and off track in F1

Kyalami hosted the most recent grand prix in Africa in 1993

Will F1 have a race in Africa?

As reports of renewed interest in a race in Africa re-emerge, Hamilton has pointed out how the area has been omitted from the expanding calendar year-on-year.

“100% we can’t be adding races in other locations if you continue to ignore Africa,” he told media in Zandvoort.

“The rest of the world just takes from [Africa], no one gives anything to Africa. There’s a huge amount of work that needs to be done there.

“I think a lot of the world that hasn’t been there don’t realise how beautiful the place is, how vast it is and probably they don’t even know what the countries are doing still to those places in terms of holding them back."

For the second time in recent years, Hamilton spent the summer break travelling in the continent, this time visiting Morocco, Senegal, Benin, Mozambique, and Madagascar.

“I think having a grand prix there will be able to highlight just how great the place is and bring in tourism and all sorts," he continued.

“Why are we not on that continent? And the current excuse is that maybe there’s not a track that’s ready but there is at least one track that’s ready [Kyalami, the venue for previous South African races] and in the short term, we should just get on that track and have that part of the calendar."

Lewis Hamilton has said he will speak with F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali

Kyalami is an FIA grade 2 track, one rating below the required rating to host F1, though has held several meetings with bosses of the sport in recent years about a revival of the South African Grand Prix, though financial and political issues have reportedly prevented formal plans materialising.

Recent reports have also revealed Rwanda's plans to host F1, which would involve a new circuit being built.

The country was one visited by Hamilton, who was the first - and remains the only - black driver to have raced in the sport, this summer.

“And then work on building out something new so that’ll be a conversation I have with Stefano,” the 39-year-old said.

“Rwanda is one of my favourite places I’ve been to. I’ve been doing a lot of work in the background on it. I’ve spoken to people in Rwanda, I’ve spoken to people in South Africa. Rwanda is a longer project, but it’s amazing that they’re so keen to get a part of it.”

Max Verstappen Lewis Hamilton F1 Stefano Domenicali