FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem has addressed the possibility of Africa hosting a Grand Prix in the near future. Despite Formula 1’s extensive global expansion, Africa has been notably absent from the Grand Prix calendar since South Africa’s Kyalami was a regular fixture until 1993. Noteworthy figures such as Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton have expressed support for a return to Africa, specifically highlighting South Africa’s beauty.
In an interview with Germany’s Motorsport-Magazin, Mohammed Ben Sulayem emphasized the need to focus more attention on Africa. He highlighted the FIA’s efforts to strengthen relationships in the region, mentioning the “Motorsport in a Box” initiative. This initiative involves providing simple equipment like timing devices and telephones to promote grassroots motorsport development, starting from the bottom up rather than imposing top-down directives.
Ben Sulayem acknowledged South Africa’s rich motorsport history and the ongoing discussions about bringing Formula 1 back to Kyalami. Additionally, he mentioned the consideration of an electric championship involving Africa. Despite the excitement in established Formula 1 markets like China, Ben Sulayem stressed the importance of not overlooking regions where motorsport preferences might differ. He emphasized the FIA’s commitment to understanding and supporting diverse interests, such as hill climb racing, karting, or other motorsport categories, tailored to the preferences of each region. Overall, Ben Sulayem underscored the importance of listening to and engaging with local communities to foster motorsport growth.