Rwanda officially offered this Friday to host a Formula 1 race in the future to “return the excitement of racing to Africa”, after starting talks about this possibility a few months ago.
“I am pleased to formally announce that Rwanda is bidding to bring the excitement of racing back to Africa by hosting a Formula 1 Grand Prix,” said Rwandan President Paul Kagame at the opening of the FIA General Assembly in country’s capital, Kigali.
F1 would be very interested in holding a race in Africa and talks with Rwanda would have started a few months ago. “I assure you that we are approaching this opportunity with the seriousness and commitment it deserves,” declared the president.
If an agreement is reached between the country and F1, the race would be held on a new circuit planned near the new Bugesera airport, just outside Kigali. The last F1 race on the African continent was held in 1993 in South Africa, and has not returned since due to problems with the local promoter.
Rwanda is now considered the African nation most likely to host a race, but human rights organizations are highly critical of the situation in the country.