Formula 1’s Rumoured Return to South African Shores Causes More Confusion As Conflicting Reports Emerge

Formula 1’s Rumoured Return to South African Shores Causes More Confusion As Conflicting Reports Emerge

Byron Pillay
updated at April 12, 2023 at 8:06 PM
  • Rumours have been doing the rounds that South Africa had signed a deal to host Formula 1 until 2028
  • The Kyalami spokesman has shot down any reports that a deal has been signed as yet with Formula 1
  • Lewis Hamilton has called for a race to be held in Africa as it's the only continent not to have a Formula 1 race

Confusion continues to reign over whether South Africa will host a Formula 1 race next year.

Kyalami last hosted an F1 race in 1993, a race that Alain Prost took victory in.

Formula 1, Rumours, South Africa, Confusion, Conflicting Reports, Motorsport, Red Bull, Alain Prost, Kyalami, Sergio Perez, Max Verstappen
There's still a lot of confusion in the air about whether South Africa will indeed host a Formula 1 race at Kyalami next year. Image: Bryn Lennon/ Lars Baron/ @AfricaFactsZone
Source: Getty Images

News broke today that the Kyalami had signed a five-year deal with F1, which will see the race being run in Mzansi from 2023 to 2028.

The Citizen reported that an F1 journalist and insider claimed that DHL had helped with the approval for Kyalami to secure a place on the 2023 calendar. DHL are F1’s logistics partner and is rumoured to be the main sponsor for the South African Grand Prix

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Fans had more reasons to be excited when Red Bull’s Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen recently stated that “Kyalami was coming, hopefully.”

With fans celebrating the news on social media and expressing their excitement, conflicting reports emerged stating that a deal had not been signed.

Kyalami spokesperson Christo Kruger also confirmed that no agreement had been signed yet and that there “was nothing to say,” Times LIVE reported.

A leak of next year’s calendar also shows no trace of South Africa on it, with a race in China slotting into the March date proposed for the South African race.

'Formula One coming to Africa?' Lewis Hamilton throws his support behind racing returning to the continent

Sir Lewis Hamilton wants to see a Formula 1 event held on African shores.

The seven-time World Champion has reignited calls for South Africa to play host to a race, saying that a return to Africa could no longer be avoided.

Apart from Antarctica, Africa remains the only continent where a Formula 1 event isn’t held during the current season. The last time Africa played host to Formula 1 was when South Africa held a race in 1993 at Kyalami.

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Byron Pillay
Byron Pillay is a sports writer and Head of the Department at Sports Brief (joined in 2022) with over 10 years of experience in community journalism and a degree in journalism from Caxton's Cadet School.
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