Lewis Hamilton’s dreams of racing in Africa before he retires have taken a major step in the right direction, as the FIA has approved redevelopment plans for Kyalami Circuit.
The venue in South Africa will now be allowed to undergo extensive renovation work to bring it to Grade One status, allowing it to host F1 championship events.
The iconic track first hosted a South African Grand Prix in 1967 but fell off the calendar in 1993, and has been absent from the calendar ever since. Multiple countries are fighting for an F1 race in their country, and the circuit owners are throwing their hats in to get racing back in Africa for the first time in over three decades.
On Wednesday, Kyalami Circuit released a statement confirming the final design proposals sent to the FIA have been accepted, allowing for work to now begin on renovations.
Lewis Hamilton has been campaigning for a race in Africa most of his career
Reuters"The current 4.522km layout, upgraded in 2016, already holds FIA Grade Two certification and the Kyalami precinct has proven itself as a successful, self-sustaining venue with year-round commercial activity," the statement read.
The facility has year-round functionality due to the spaces available for conferences, shows, exhibitions, activations, and lifestyle events and will remain essential to its commercial model.
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"Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit is now poised to take the next step in the evolution of the track, having received confirmation that the Federation International de l'Automobile (FIA) has accepted the design proposals to upgrade the circuit to Grade 1 status - the highest international standard required to host Formula 1.
"The FIA's written acceptance of the amended design marks a significant achievement. Once the capital works are completed and a final inspection is conducted, Kyalami will become Africa's only Grade 1 circuit, capable of hosting Formula 1 on the African continent."
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The circuit is currently Grade Two but will now be renovated to Grade One
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While the upgrade to Grade One will be a big boost for motorsport in Africa, South Africa will face strong competition to get onto the Formula 1 calendar.
Earlier this week government officials in Thailand confirmed they have made a £900million bid for a Grand Prix starting in 2028, and there is thought to be interest from Argentina, Rwanda, and South Korea.
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With only 24 spaces on the current calendar, races are a premium with not all bids being accepted. If the race in South Africa is approved it would be a dream come true for Lewis Hamilton, who has been campaigning for a race in Africa for years.
The last F1 race at Kyalami was back in 1993
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“I’m working in the background to get South Africa on the race," Hamilton said in Abu Dhabi last year. "That’s like such a dream for me. I’ve gotta stay until they get that race…”
In the short term the Briton will have to turn his focus back to his difficult season, as he struggles to find pace in his Ferrari and will be hoping for a better weekend in Austria next weekend.
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