NAIROBI, Kenya — Seven-time Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton has renewed his call for the return of a Formula 1 race in Africa, saying it remains a personal goal to see the continent host a Grand Prix before he retires from the sport.
Speaking in an interview on March 5, Hamilton said he has spent the past six to seven years quietly lobbying stakeholders within Formula One to consider bringing a race back to Africa, the only inhabited continent currently absent from the championship calendar.
“I’ve been to 10 countries now in Africa, and there’s still so much more for me to see. For the past six years, maybe seven, I’ve been fighting in the background to get a Grand Prix,” Hamilton said. “So, sitting with the stakeholders and asking them the question — why are we not in Africa?”
Growing fan base across the continent
Hamilton noted that the absence of Africa from the racing calendar is increasingly difficult to justify given the sport’s rapidly expanding fan base across the continent.
In Nairobi, organised watch parties such as the Paddock Experience have drawn up to 1,400 fans per race since 2021, reflecting growing interest in Formula 1 among younger audiences.
Analysts and fan groups say Africa’s Formula 1 community is expanding quickly, particularly in countries such as Kenya and Ghana, where female viewership is rising, and fans are increasingly engaging with the sport’s technical analysis and digital platforms.
Kenya praised, but infrastructure remains a challenge
Hamilton said his travels across Africa have left a lasting impression, highlighting his visit to Kenya in August 2022 as one of the memorable stops.
“I loved Kenya,” he said, while acknowledging that the country may not yet have the infrastructure required to host a Formula One Grand Prix, which demands world-class circuits, logistics and safety systems.
The driver pointed to Rwanda as a country that particularly stood out during his visits.
“Rwanda particularly was spectacular and somewhere I felt like I could live,” he added.
Hamilton also said South Africa could be another viable host if sufficient investment is directed toward upgrading facilities and meeting Formula One standards.
Personal connection to Africa
The 40-year-old driver, currently racing for Scuderia Ferrari after leaving Mercedes‑AMG Petronas Formula One Team in 2025, said the dream of racing in Africa carries deep personal significance.
Hamilton explained that his heritage traces back to several African countries, including Senegal, Benin, Nigeria, and Togo — places he has explored in recent years.
He believes hosting a Grand Prix in Africa would celebrate the continent’s culture and potential while giving local fans the chance to experience the sport firsthand.
Africa’s absence from the F1 calendar
Formula One last hosted a race on African soil in 1993 at the historic Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit, before the event disappeared from the global schedule.
Since then, discussions about returning to Africa have resurfaced periodically, but logistical, financial and political challenges have slowed progress.
Hamilton, widely regarded as one of the greatest drivers in the sport’s history, has repeatedly used his platform to push for greater global representation in Formula One.
The British driver holds multiple records, including 105 race wins, 104 pole positions, and more than 200 podium finishes, and won world titles in 2008, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020. He also became Formula One’s first Black world champion and was knighted in 2021 for his contributions to motorsport.
For Hamilton, bringing Formula One to Africa would represent more than just another race on the calendar.
“It would be incredible for the sport and for the continent,” he said.