MINISTER of Sport, Arts and Culture Gayton Mckenzie announces South Africa’s bid for a Formula One Grand Prix in the 2027 season, with the possibility of hosting as early as 2026 if all goes well.
To this end, a bid steering committee was appointed and unveiled on Wednesday at the Kyalami racetrack, north of Johannesburg. They have just two months to pick a track and send the bid to Cabinet for approval.
South Africa last hosted an F1 race in 1993.
McKenzie, a die-hard Formula One fan, believes he will be giving one of the sport’s most famous drivers, with the most wins in F1 history his last remaining wish in the sport, that Lewis Hamilton will be able to race in South Africa in an F1 car.
“Lewis Hamilton, you said you had a dream to race in South Africa again I’m standing here to tell you we will not rest until your dream comes to a realisation that you will race again in South Africa,” says McKenzie.
McKenzie’s dream of a F1 race in South Africa is a step closer to fruition with the establishment of the bid steering committee, a group of motorsport and broadcast professionals tasked with formalising South Africa’s bid.
By the end of February, they need to find a promoter and send the bid to Cabinet for approval.
But last week Rwanda threw their name into the F1 hat with their intention to bid for a race, and many believe they have the inside track if there is only one spot up for grabs.
“It is not a zero-sum game, it doesn’t need to be South Africa. It doesn’t need to be Rwanda. One of the two, you just need to look at Formula One to know. We wish Rwanda well! We want Rwanda to get the Formula One, we want South Africa to get the Formula One. Why is it when it comes to Africa, we should be treated like we only can get one while you have Europe that has seven it can’t be,” Mckenzie adds.
McKenzie even wants to work with Rwanda to compare notes, and if, as is mooted, Morocco, wants to make a bid, he has vowed to share knowledge with them as well.
Above all, he does not want Africa to divide itself over trying to get on the F1 calendar.
“Italy has two Formula One races. One country has two races while a continent has nothing. We are the global south, we can’t allow that we must not be silent when we are being ill-treated.”
The Bid steering committee will need to decide on a racetrack, and they will be taking submissions.
However Kyalami may just be the frontrunner, it has the pedigree and history. It has hosted 21 F1 Grand Prix in the past, and above all, it is on the way to being F1-compliant and financially viable.
Kyalami CEO Toby Venter says, “We are ninety percent there but the last ten percent will be done next year what has already been done is a detailed plan of what we have to do and how we have to do it Kyalami as you all know is a viable business entity in its own right without Formula One and it is very busy so our job is to fit in the construction and not disrupt our business activities but rest assured by the end of next year Kyalami will be F1 certified.”
Mckenzie also says he is supplying President Cyril Ramaphosa with constant updates and expects that South Africa’s bid could see them on the F1 calendar for at least ten years.
