Is F1 going to South Africa in 2023?

Lewis Hamilton: "The place that I really feel is dear to my heart and, most important to get a race back, is in South Africa. There is a great following out there and I think it would be great to be able to highlight just how beautiful the motherland is."

Last Updated: 13/06/22 12:29pm

F1 President and CEO Stefano Domenicali is in talks with local stakeholders about South Africa re-joining the race calendar

Formula 1 are working towards a deal for South Africa to re-join the race calendar in 2023. 

F1 President and CEO Stefano Domenicali flew to South Africa directly from Baku following Sunday's Azerbaijan Grand Prix for talks with local stakeholders, though any formal agreement is likely to be weeks away.

The race would be held at Kyalami Grand Prix circuit, which hosted F1 until 1993.

The Kyalami Circuit could host F1 again for the first time since 1993

F1 are working towards a record 24-race calendar for next year which includes a new street race in Las Vegas.

Sky Sports News understands that the Covid situation in China might mean only 23 events will take place in 2023.

Lewis Hamilton recently said: "The place that I really feel is dear to my heart and most important to get a race back is in South Africa.

"There is a great following out there and I think it would be great to be able to highlight just how beautiful the motherland is."

Like many watching the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday, and seeing the FIA-approved news that Spa would host the 2023 leg once more, had me deflated. What did this mean? Sadly, no deal has been signed to host an Formula One race at Kyalami. 

The reckless way certain media went chasing clicks by announcing that the race would happen, off the back of some half-baked frozen nuggets of information, kick-started a hype train with immense energy. A positive spinoff is that we learnt that South Africans are hungry for it. But we will have to wait a bit longer. 

More details will follow in due course but perhaps this was – allow me to play devil’s advocate here – a blessing in disguise. Why? For starters, given the sheer gravity of the logistics and planning behind hosting an event of this nature, anything short of a perfect job could see us off the list for good, and we certainly don’t want that. Think long game here.

The reason? Well, as I said, more details will follow, but what we do know is owing to a host of complexities behind the scenes to ensure Kyalami, Motorsport South Africa, F1 and the promoter all sing from the same hymn sheet, an agreement could not be reached. I mean, there is a lot of money behind this. It’s certainly not a trivial transaction like buying a loaf of bread from the convenience store. 

One of the logistical issues is getting the track to the necessary grade. Funding and time are needed for track modifications such as the procurement of safety barriers and construction to increase the runoff room at several turns. Yes, how street circuits like Monaco and Baku get away with it is a contentious topic but let’s play by the rules and make the authorities happy.

Some good news is this certainly doesn’t mean the deal is off the table. It just means more time is needed to get all the ducks in a row. None of the heads of the powers that be will be rushed into a deal, so let’s all practise patience. Coming from a millennial, this took restraint, even to type. For now, let’s enjoy the sport and save a little for those tickets when the time does come, and when it does, that sweet moment will be the sweetest.

South Africa last hosted a grand prix at Kyalami back in 1993, which also staged the race between 1967 and 1985 before returning in 1992 following the end of apartheid.

As part of F1's push to race on all continents and fully embrace its world championship status, talks have been ongoing about a potential return to South Africa for some time.

Following the Azerbaijan Grand Prix last weekend, F1 CEO and president Stefano Domenicali has travelled to South Africa where he is set to meet with Kyalami officials and other stakeholders for further talks about reviving the race.

Although 2024 had been mooted as a possible timeframe for the race to return, it is now understood that F1 could return to South Africa as early as next year, pending a successful outcome to talks in the coming weeks.

The return of Kyalami would add to an already-congested calendar for 2023 that is poised to hit the 24-race limit enforced by the Concorde Agreement.

The Qatar Grand Prix has already been confirmed as returning to the calendar as part of a new 10-year deal, following its inaugural event last year, while the first Las Vegas Grand Prix has also been announced for November 2023.

China is another race that has a contract to return to the schedule next year, although its status remains unclear due to the country's ongoing COVID-19 restrictions.

Damon Hill, Williams FW15C, leads Alessandro Zanardi, Lotus 107B, Rubens Barrichello, Jordan 193, and Ivan Capelli, Jordan 193

Photo by: Motorsport Images

From the existing 22-race calendar, the French Grand Prix looks set to drop off the schedule for next year, while doubts remain over the future of the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa.

Seven-time F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton has been one of the most vocal figures calling for a return to South Africa, saying it was a place "dear to my heart" and that he thought it would highlight the "great following out there".

Speaking at the Business of F1 Forum arranged by Motorsport Network and the Financial Times in Monaco, F1's global director of race promotion, Chloe Targett-Adams, said that a foothold in Africa was "something we've been working on for many years now".

"COVID showed us that we can race quickly, but really to get where we want to be strategically, to build the sport and build the fanbase, it is a couple of years process," Targett-Adams said.

"The US is still very much in our sights. Africa and Asia I think is where we need to be. If you look at China with the way that COVID has happened, we've been out of that market for maybe three years. Next year is still a question mark.

"Africa and Asia is the focus I think in the short- to mid-term, and how we race in Europe is also a big question, making sure we keep that heartland of the sport.

"It's a wonderful position to be in, because everyone wants a race. That just gives us the best opportunity to create the most strategically-focused, growth-driven calendar that we've been able to do for many years."

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