FORMULA 1 CALENDAR INTELLIGENCE · UPDATED OCTOBER 13, 2026

Formula 1 Confirms 10-Year Rwanda Grand Prix Deal for Early 2030s

Formula 1 has officially confirmed a 10-year agreement for an African Grand Prix in Rwanda, turning last week's reported deal into a formal commitment to return to the continent for the first time since 1993.

Reported agreement becomes official

On October 13, Formula 1 announced a 10-year agreement with Rwanda for the Formula 1 African Grand Prix, presented by Visit Rwanda. The confirmation follows reports on October 8 that an agreement had been reached and that an announcement in Kigali was imminent.

Formula 1 President and CEO Stefano Domenicali, Rwanda's President Paul Kagame and FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem welcomed the project as a long-term commitment to racing, infrastructure and motorsport development on the continent.

The deal is confirmed, but the inaugural race date is not. Formula 1 says the event will begin once the new circuit is complete, expected in the early 2030s. A specific season, race weekend and championship calendar slot have not been announced.

New purpose-built circuit planned near Kigali

The venue will be constructed in Bugesera, approximately 40 kilometres south of Kigali, alongside the new Kigali International Airport. Formula 1 says the track will be developed to FIA Grade 1 standards, with the design using the area's natural elevation changes.

The circuit forms part of a wider project encompassing tourism, sporting facilities, infrastructure and commercial development. Final layout specifications, construction milestones and the first race date remain to be announced.

Why Formula 1's African return matters

The last Formula 1 World Championship race held in Africa was the 1993 South African Grand Prix at Kyalami, won by Alain Prost. Rwanda's agreement would end a gap of more than three decades when the new venue hosts its inaugural event.

Rwanda would become the third African country to stage a Formula 1 World Championship Grand Prix, after Morocco and South Africa. Lewis Hamilton has repeatedly advocated for the sport to return to Africa, a market Formula 1 estimates has more than 100 million fans.

What is confirmed — and what remains open

Confirmed: a 10-year hosting agreement; Rwanda as the future host; a new Bugesera venue; the intention to build to FIA Grade 1 standards; and an anticipated start in the early 2030s, conditional on the circuit's completion.

Not confirmed: the inaugural championship year, exact race dates, completed circuit design, homologation, construction schedule or a published calendar slot. Paddock Command will not add Rwanda to the confirmed 2026 or 2027 race calendar.

Paddock Command outlook

The October 13 announcement materially changes the project's status from a reported agreement to an officially confirmed future Grand Prix. The next substantive checkpoints are the circuit development schedule, FIA approval and Formula 1's announcement of the inaugural season.

The immediate 2026 championship remains focused on the United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas, October 23–25. Rwanda's future event does not change the current race schedule.

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Sources and verification

Formula 1 — Official 10-year Rwanda agreement, Oct. 13, 2026
Reuters — Rwanda to host race from early 2030s, Oct. 13, 2026