Kyalami Raceway has taken the first tangible steps towards FIA Grade 1 specification. File picture: Kyalami
South Africa is another step closer to hosting a Formula One Grand Prix.
This follows confirmation by Kyalami Raceway on Thursday that it had enlisted the services of Apex Circuit Design to prepare a roadmap for the FIA Grade 1 accreditation that would be necessary to host an F1 Grand Prix.
This announcement comes after South Africa’s Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, had what he described as an “extremely good meeting” with FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem and F1 GEO Stefano Domenicali at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in September, where support for the F1 bid was discussed.
Kyalami Raceway said its engagement with Apex, which has designed some of the world’s best racetracks, was a “proactive” step to ensure that the country was ready to host an F1 race, but it was not a guarantee that such an event would take place.
That all hinges on successful negotiations between the local promoter, government and F1 owner Liberty Media.
“With its rich history of Formula One events at the circuit, Kyalami is perfectly suited to host top-tier international motor racing events. Sharing the ethos of creating an engaging spectator and participant experience, Kyalami and Apex are working together to prepare Kyalami for FIA Grade 1 accreditation,” Kyalami Raceway said in a statement.
A Kyalami spokesperson told IOL that the track could potentially be ready for inclusion on the 2027 F1 calendar, or possibly even a late 2026 entry if the calendar and other factors enabled it.
No formal cost analysis on upgrading the circuit was available at the time of writing, but it has been previously estimated that FIA Grade 1 upgrades would likely cost in the region of $10 million (R170 million).
Upgrades would need to take place to the track’s kerbing, run-off areas and barriers, following an in-depth study of the safety requirements given the speeds attainable by a modern F1 car.
Kyalami said the spectator experience would also need to be taken into consideration during the upgrade process.
South Africa has not hosted a F1 Grand Prix since 1993.
The country came close to seeing an F1 comeback in 2023, but the mooted deal reportedly fell through because the promoter could not provide the necessary financial guarantees.
Besides the track upgrades the hosting fees alone for the F1 Grand Prix in South Africa are believed to be in the region of R600 million.
Lewis Hamilton has repeatedly called for a F1 race under African skies.
In late August, the seven-time champion said he was working behind the scenes with both South Africa and Rwanda to try to make it happen.
"The time's 100% right. We can't be adding races in other locations and continue to ignore Africa, which the rest of the world just takes from. No one gives anything to Africa," Hamilton said.
IOL
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