Formula 1 is heading back to Africa! On 13 October 2026, F1 announced their ten-year agreement for the African Grand Prix, presented by Visit Rwanda. The first race is expected in the early 2030s, once a new purpose-built circuit in Bugesera is completed. The plans already give us plenty to talk about. Steep climbs, banked corners, and a lap winding between hills beside a lake are all part of the proposed design. So, where will F1 be racing, what could make this circuit special, and how much do we actually know so far?
How did Rwanda get here?
F1’s African history has so far taken it to Morocco and South Africa, with the continent’s most recent World Championship Grand Prix held at Kyalami in 1993. Rwanda would therefore become the third African country to welcome the championship, bringing F1 back to the continent after more than three decades! The announcement may be recent, but behind-the-scenes work goes back several years.
Former F1 driver Alex Wurz says he began working on the racetrack master plan in 2023. Rwanda publicly announced its bid in December 2024, during the FIA General Assemblies in Kigali. Wurz’s company, WurzDesign, is working with Tilke Engineers and Architects and Dar on the project. Tilke became lead consultant in June 2026, taking responsibility for the track, race facilities, and architectural concepts. Together, the team is developing the venue known as RISE Motordrome.
Where will the circuit be?
The planned circuit is in Bugesera, around 40 kilometres south of Kigali, beside the new international airport development. It is to be developed to FIA Grade 1 standards, as part of a wider project led by the Rwanda Development Board. The surroundings are central to the plan. Set beside Lake Kidogo, the venue is planned to accommodate 100,000 spectators, with architecture inspired by Rwandan culture. The surrounding hills are also part of the attraction: the designers want to use the landscape to shape both the lap, and the experience of watching it.
What will a lap look like?
The current design has 17 corners over approximately six kilometres, running anti-clockwise. Its hills give the designers scope to combine fast, flowing sections, with technical corners and changes in elevation. Turn 2 already stands out in the current design. A downhill approach on a 10.8% gradient would lead into a compression with 12% banking, followed by a steep, 14% climb. Drivers would go from descending into the corner to heading uphill with a view dominated by the sky, all within the same turn. Then there are the final Esses, designed so that a mistake in one corner can compromise the next five or six. Drivers would need to judge how hard to push: attacking one corner too aggressively could leave them struggling through the rest of the sequence.
Can we expect overtaking?
The design includes three areas where drivers would brake heavily while turning, creating potential opportunities to attack. The corner sequences are intended to keep the battle going, with defending one corner potentially leaving a driver vulnerable at the next. Even the back straight drops into a compression before climbing towards a braking zone. Will that translate into close racing? Overtaking will also depend on the cars, regulations, and tyres. The opportunities are being designed in, but how effectively drivers can use them will become clearer when the cars finally take to the track. The challenge above the track There is another detail to consider before the cars even reach a corner: altitude. The site sits approximately 1,300-1,400 metres above sea level, where lower air pressure means less aerodynamic grip.
Camber (the slope across the track surface) is being incorporated into the design to help address that challenge. Then there is the weather. Rwanda has two main rainy seasons, broadly March through May and September through December. Conditions vary across the country, with central and eastern areas generally drier than the western highlands. Whether rain becomes a major race-weekend talking point will depend partly on where the Grand Prix lands on the calendar. The asphalt is still being worked out, too. The aim is to use locally sourced materials where possible and provide good grip without a surface that is excessively harsh on tyres. Wet-weather grip is also a priority. For anyone already wondering about pit stops, we will need to wait for a clearer picture of the surface and tyre behaviour.
What else is planned?
The plans extend beyond the F1 lap, with karting, a driving experience centre, and off-road courses. Paddock buildings are intended to draw on Rwandan architecture, and the venue is also planned to accommodate concerts and other events. The hope, according to F1 and the Rwandan government, is to support tourism, investment, skills, and local businesses. The deal, however, has also faced outside criticism. Amnesty International UK has accused Rwanda’s authorities of using major sporting partnerships to improve their image and divert attention from human rights abuses. Its response to the F1 agreement cited repression within Rwanda and the country’s role in the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
When will we see cars on track?
The announced target is the early 2030s, with the first race dependent on completion of the circuit. The inaugural date and race-weekend plans are still to be confirmed. For now, the first race is still some way off. But between Turn 2’s steep descent and uphill exit, and a final sequence where one mistake could compromise several corners, Rwanda has already given us quite a few reasons to keep following the plans!
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