Rwanda has signed a 10-year agreement with Formula One to host the African Grand Prix, bringing the sport back to the continent for the first time since the 1993 South African Grand Prix.
The deal was announced on October 13, 2026, during a ceremony in Kigali attended by Rwandan President Paul Kagame, F1 President and CEO Stefano Domenicali, and FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
The race will take place on a new purpose-built circuit in Bugesera, approximately 25 to 40 kilometres south of Kigali and adjacent to the country’s new international airport, which is scheduled to open in 2028.
The circuit, designed by former F1 driver Alex Wurz in collaboration with Tilke Engineering, will be around 6 kilometres long with 17 corners in an anti-clockwise layout. It is planned to follow the natural hilly terrain, featuring significant elevation changes of about 197 metres per lap.
The first event is expected in the early 2030s once the FIA Grade 1 track is completed. The agreement positions the race as a multi-purpose venue for other motorsport events, concerts, and exhibitions throughout the year.
F1 said the project follows years of collaboration to ensure a sustainable and world-class event. Domenicali described it as a landmark moment that will allow the championship to race on every inhabited continent.
Rwanda will become the third African country to host a Formula One World Championship round, after South Africa and Morocco, which staged a non-championship race in 1958.
