Rwanda will host Africa's first Formula One Grand Prix since 1993 in "the early 2030s" after the circuit announced a decade-long deal with the country on Tuesday.
The East African nation has been chasing a Grand Prix race for years, having already used football, basketball and other sports to enhance its image and attract investment.
President Paul Kagame formally announced the bid when Rwanda hosted a gathering of the FIA in December 2024.
The last time an F1 race was held in Africa was the 33rd South African Grand Prix, won by Alain Prost 33 years ago.
Purpose-built circuit under construction
The first African Grand Prix in Rwanda will take place "once a new purpose-built circuit in Bugesera, Rwanda, has been completed", F1 said in a statement.
"Today is a landmark moment for Formula One," F1 president Stefano Domenicali added.
"With Rwanda joining the calendar from the next decade, our sport will race in every inhabited continent, bringing the world championship closer than ever to fans around the globe.
"Africa has always been part of Formula One's future, and from the beginning we were determined to return in the right way, with the right partner, a long-term commitment and a clear vision for creating meaningful impact."
Dark history
A landlocked country, Rwanda witnessed genocide in 1994 but has used sports to revamp its image, attract tourists and impress investors with its organisational efficiency.
It has spent lavishly on football sponsorship deals with clubs including Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain, partnered with the NBA to be the main hub of its African basketball league, and hosted last year's cycling world championships.
"Today belongs to Africa," said Kagame. "For more than three decades, the world's premier motorsport championship has raced without this continent, and that changes with this agreement."
The announcement will delight one of F1's biggest stars, Lewis Hamilton.
The seven-time world champion has long called for an African stop on the F1 circuit, backing Rwanda's plans in 2024 and calling the country "one of my favourite places".
