President Paul Kagame has challenged critics who question Rwanda’s ability to host a Formula One Grand Prix, arguing that the country’s ambitions extend beyond staging a major sporting event to positioning Africa more prominently on the global motorsport calendar.
Speaking at the announcement event at BK Arena in Kigali, Kagame said Rwanda’s participation in Formula One should be understood as part of a broader national development strategy and an effort to create opportunities for the continent.
“That’s me. I tell those people to take a deep breath and calm down and wait to see what is coming,” Kagame said when asked what he would tell those who believe Formula One is too big for a small country like Rwanda.
He argued that the country’s size should not determine its ability to host an international sporting event, while pointing to previous competitions and international gatherings Rwanda has hosted, including the NBA Africa League, the International Automobile Federation (FIA) General Assembly and the UCI Cycling World Championships.
Kagame said Rwanda was looking beyond its own borders, with ambitions to bring other African countries and their fans into the project, potentially giving the continent greater visibility in a sport whose global calendar has historically offered it limited representation.
The announcement, however, marks the beginning of a demanding process rather than the completion of that ambition.
Formula One is a complex undertaking requiring substantial investment, specialised infrastructure, logistical coordination and sustained international cooperation.
Delivering a Grand Prix will therefore depend on whether Rwanda can translate its announcement into a circuit and supporting facilities capable of meeting the sport’s technical and operational requirements.
A demanding circuit and a tight delivery challenge
Details presented during the event described a proposed circuit featuring significant elevation changes, with a reported gain of 197 metres per lap.
The terrain is expected to create both a distinctive viewing experience for spectators and a technical challenge for drivers and engineers.
Such features could help distinguish Rwanda’s proposed venue, but the circuit’s eventual design, construction and readiness will be central to determining whether the country can meet Formula One’s demanding standards.
Formula One President and CEO Stefano Domenicali said the sport’s leadership was proud to work with Rwanda, describing the country as an example of a nation pursuing an ambitious vision.
He also acknowledged that considerable work remained before Formula One cars and teams could arrive for a race in Rwanda.
“We are racers. We are people that take the challenge with the stopwatch,” Domenicali said, stressing that the period between the announcement and the first race would require substantial cooperation between Formula One and Rwanda.
His remarks highlighted the practical challenge behind the announcement: the project will have to move from ambition to delivery, with the necessary preparations completed before the country can host the competition.
Domenicali said the wider Formula One ecosystem was enthusiastic about the prospect of racing in Rwanda, adding that the initiative could leave a lasting legacy for both the country and Africa.
Beyond the spectacle
Kagame framed the project as part of Rwanda’s wider efforts to attract international attention and expand its role in major sporting events. Hosting Formula One could bring global exposure to the country, while creating opportunities linked to tourism, hospitality, investment and technical services.
Domenicali also argued that motorsport could contribute beyond entertainment, pointing to the role of technology and investment in generating wider social and economic benefits.
He said Formula One’s hundreds of millions of fans across Africa represented an opportunity that could be realised through effective collaboration and execution.
However, the scale of that opportunity will depend on how the project is delivered and how its benefits are distributed. International visibility alone does not guarantee lasting economic returns, while the cost of developing and maintaining specialised infrastructure makes investment, financing and long-term use important considerations.
The announcement also raises questions about the extent to which local businesses, workers and technical professionals will participate in the project, and whether the infrastructure and expertise developed for the race can support other economic activities.
Domenicali said Formula One and Rwanda had reached a point where both sides needed to move forward together, describing the announcement as an important step after a period in which the project had been under discussion.
For Rwanda, the challenge now is to turn that shared ambition into a deliverable project.
Kagame’s message to sceptics was to wait and see what the country could achieve. Whether the Grand Prix becomes a lasting sporting and economic milestone for Rwanda and Africa will ultimately depend on what follows the announcement: the infrastructure delivered, the resources committed and the opportunities created beyond race day.