Fan-built Rwanda F1 circuit appears in Assetto Corsa — but it’s only a sketch

Rwanda’s proposed F1 circuit has a virtual lap, but the 4.65km Assetto Corsa version circulating online is a fan reconstruction, not the official layout.

Footage appeared within 72 hours of Formula 1 revealing a decade-long deal to race in Africa. Tyrone Hesbrook, who creates circuits as Nukedrop, built the mod from the single preview image F1 had released. He matched the airport in the rendering to satellite imagery and used real elevation data for the surrounding terrain; the mod’s YouTube description says it took about 24 hours to make.

At 4.65km, the fan version is about 1.35km shorter than the roughly 6km official plan. That plan calls for 17 corners and an anti-clockwise direction, but its full layout has not been released. Hesbrook acknowledges that the mod relies on educated guesses about scale, elevation and details hidden from view.

The elevation figures are not a direct comparison: Wurz calculates 197m of vertical gain across a lap, while the game version spans about 70m between its lowest and highest points.

WurzDesign and Tilke Engineering are developing the circuit in Bugesera, about 40km south of Kigali. Plans include a lakeside section and a high-speed straight more than 1km long, ending in a tight corner intended to aid overtaking; Carsten Tilke says the gradients reach 12–13%.

The first F1 race in Rwanda is not due until the early 2030s.