From almost the day he took office, the minister of sports, arts and culture, Gayton McKenzie, has been talking about bringing Formula One to SA. He stated that his term as minister would be a failure if he did not bring F1 (to SA). His words are positive, but how is this project proceeding? We take a close look at the ins and outs of hosting an F1 race as well as the players involved, both domestically and in other parts of Africa.

Follow Double Apex on Instagram and Facebook where we share more car content.

Hosting an F1 Race

Firstly, one must note that the Formula One Group (FOG) owned by Liberty Media and the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) are two different organisations with different mandates. FOG’s role is to promote its product, negotiate agreements with promoters to host events and maximise revenues. The FIA is the governing body of motorsport around the world. It is responsible for sanctioning racing events, such as Formula 1 (F1), it enacts and enforces sporting rules and regulations.

Click here to watch our Pagani Huayra BC drive review video.

FOG is a company with a very successful and lucrative product: F1 which has on-track racing, and the surrounding ‘soap opera’. We can liken the race series to a headline music act such as U2. If you want to host a U2 concert you need a suitable venue ie a massive arena. In the case of F1 it’s a racetrack that meets the requirements of the FIA. Music arenas or stadia are simply host venues for events to take place and have very little to do with the organisation of the events. If you want to host a U2 concert at Soccer City, you simply hire Soccer City. You arrange all the security, AV equipment, etc, etc.

In between the rock band and the venue lies the promoter. In the case of F1 the promoter and circuit owners can be the same party. However, it can also be an independent company that sees a good business case in hosting a U2 concert. As a promoter you pay to hire the stadium, pay U2 to pitch up (we cover the costs of hosting an F1 race at this link) and sell tickets to your event to make some money. These are, in broad strokes, how one would go about hosting an F1 race.

Buy now and take advantage of free delivery in South Africa on orders over R349.

Getting Complicated

The minister of sport has made several comments regarding an F1 race coming to SA. As Bloomberg reported (link here) the SA government is going to pitch for the return of an F1 race to SA. This, of course, introduces a level of  complexity. Adding government into the mix brings with it bureaucracy and (hopefully) a high degree of transparency. Recent comments by the minister would indicate that matters have changed in recent times. A post on his own Facebook page stated: 

We will announce a committee consisting of various expertise to select the best bid to apply to host F1 races in SA. Everyone who has the money and experience will be eligible to hand in their bid. We intend to lodge our bid end of February with Formula 1.

These sentiments were echoed in a recent interview with Supersport. The minister confirmed Kyalami as the venue, as you can see below.

Video clip from Supersport

So it seems that the SA government is looking for a suitable promoter. These words: Everyone who has the money would indicate that the government is looking to the private sector to fund an F1 race on local soil. Which begs the question: what is the government’s role in the process? Perhaps the government will, at very least, guarantee that the hosting fee will be covered. But nothing has been made clear.

Click here to watch our video review of the lightweight Dallara Stradale.

Another Player

Of course, Africa is a pretty big continent and other players are equally keen to host this prestigious series. The most notable and advanced in discussions is Rwanda. President Paul Kagami of Rwanda has recognised the benefits that a Grand Prix will bring, both from an economic perspective, and in raising the profile of Rwanda. It is understood that the Rwandan government is planning to fund all aspects of the proposed event, from the building of a racetrack, through to the promoting of the event. Additionally, the FIA’s 2024 awards ceremony will take place on the evening of Friday 13 December hosted in Kigali, Rwanda.

F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali told motorsport.com about interactions with the Rwandan government, which he most recently met at the Qatar F1 GP “They are serious,” said Domenicali. “They have presented a good plan and it will be on a permanent track. We want to go to Africa, but we need to have the right investment, and the right strategic plan.”

Not So Fast

However, the confidence shown by the minister in the video above should by tempered somewhat by the words of Formula 1 CEO, Stefano Domenicali. In a recent interview with CNN he said: 

“We are looking at Africa but not in (20)26. It will be not realistic to say they will be ready. We are having talks with countries like Rwanda, for example. South Africa requested interest, but I will say, we need to be sure that, whenever will be ready, will be done in a proper way. The focus is there for sure because Africa is the only continent that is not present in our world championship. When questioned on the possible timing, Domenicali responded: “(20)27 will be too premature, I need to be realistic. It takes time to build an ecosystem for Formula One.” 

Race Ready?

Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit is the most likely, but not guaranteed, venue in SA. The Midrand track hosted the last F1 GP on African soil and is years ahead of any other potential venues. The minister already commented, on camera, that a world-class racetrack is being built in the vicinity of the Cape Winelands Airport. A few weeks later he and his team met with the management of Kyalami GP Circuit. After that meeting the circuit issued the following statement:

The iconic Kyalami has taken proactive steps by engaging the services of Apex Circuit Design (Apex) to prepare a roadmap for FIA Grade 1 accreditation, a requirement to host a modern Formula 1 event.

Vic Maharaj, CEO of Motorsport South Africa, shared Minister McKenzie’s excitement about the Kyalami circuit’s management and their commitment to enhance and upgrade the circuit to the standard required for hosting an F1 race at Kyalami.

“We remain in ongoing discussions with the ministry,” he says. “MSA would like to see an F1 on African soil but it is a huge investment and commitment and the country as a whole needs to be part of the process.” But he also cautioned against fake news on social media and reminded people only to listen to legitimate sources of information.

We reached out to the minister’s office for comment, but multiple attempts to interview him have been denied. We also reached out to Formula 1, but they were non-responsive.