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Coulthard hears rumours F1 could soon announce a return to Africa; Rwanda reported as possible 2030 host

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David Coulthard said he was hearing rumours of an imminent F1 announcement about a return to Africa and questioned where an African race could fit into a 24-race calendar, GPBeat reports. Separately, RacingNews365 cited unnamed paddock sources saying Rwanda would be given the opportunity to host a Grand Prix in 2030; official confirmation was still pending at the time.

From the GPBeat newsroomPublished · 06 Oct 2026, 06:59 · 1 min

David Coulthard said he was hearing rumours that Formula 1 could soon announce a return to Africa. He made the remark on the Up To Speed podcast with co-host Will Buxton; Motorsport.com reported it on 5 October. Coulthard named neither a host country nor a year.

He also questioned where an African Grand Prix could fit into a 24-race schedule, with Portugal and Turkey included for 2027.

Update — 6 October 2026

RacingNews365 reported, citing unnamed paddock sources, that Rwanda would be given the opportunity to host a Grand Prix in 2030 and that an agreement had been reached. The publication said an official announcement could come later in 2026, potentially within weeks; formal confirmation from Formula 1 and the Rwandan authorities was still awaited at the time.

RacingNews365 also reported that Rwanda had no circuit capable of hosting a Grand Prix and that plans called for a permanent circuit about 40 kilometres from Kigali, near Bugesera International Airport, based on designs by WurzDesign.

In August 2026, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali said negotiations for a possible African Grand Prix were progressing very well. F1 last raced on the continent at the 1993 South African Grand Prix at Kyalami.

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