Lewis Hamilton has stated F1 can’t “continue to ignore Africa” as he pushes for the continent to make a return as a grand prix host.
South Africa is the most recent location for a race in that region of the world, with the country last hosting an event in 1993.
Hamilton has long advocated for the sport to make its return to Africa, with permanent races now established in five other continents.
F1 bosses are set to enter talks with representatives of Rwanda next month over the prospect of a grand prix, however any such deal would be a long-term project.
When asked if now is the right time to return to Africa, Hamilton told media including RacingNews365: “100%.
“We can’t be adding races in other locations and continue to ignore Africa, which the rest of the world just takes from.
“No one gives anything to Africa. There’s a huge amount of work that needs to be done there. I think a lot of the world that haven’t been there don’t realise how beautiful the place is, how vast it is.”
Hamilton’s short term solution
There are currently no tracks in the African continent that hold an FIA Grade 1 status, which is required to host F1.
The Kyalami Circuit in South Africa would likely be the continent’s best bet to achieve the tier in the near future, which Hamilton stated could be seen as a short-term solution while other options are explored.
“I think having a grand prix there [in Africa], it would really be able to highlight just how great the place is and bring in tourism and all sorts of things,” he said.
“Why are we not on that continent? The current excuse is maybe there’s not a track that’s ready, but there is at least one track that’s ready there.
“In the short term, we should just get on that track and have that part of the calendar and then work on building out something moving forward.
“That’s a conversation I’ll have with Stefano [Domenicali, F1 CEO].”