F1
FIA approves work to upgrade Kyalami to Grade 1 circuit
© Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit
The South African Grand Prix has been held 21 times at the Kyalami circuit, which regularly marked the start of the season. Formula 1 in the 1960s. Since its last Grand Prix in 1993, the South African circuit has notably refocused on GT racing, but the idea of hosting a round of the F1 World Championship again has come to the fore in recent years.
Currently a Grade 2 track, the 4,522 km track absolutely had to undergo work in order to obtain the Grade 1 status, which is mandatory for hosting a Formula 1 Grand Prix. Circuits with this status must meet various standards in terms of safety, as well as the reception of the public and racing stakeholders. The Kyalami circuit announced that the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile had approved plans to upgrade the track from Grade 2 to Grade 1, a first step towards the return of Formula 1 to the African continent.
“This is a defining moment for South African motorsport”, said Toby Venter, the track's owner. “When we acquired Kyalami in 2014, we committed to restoring it not only as a world-class venue, but also as a beacon for motorsport across the African continent. The FIA’s acceptance of plans to upgrade to Grade 1 is a major step forward in this direction.”
While the track itself will remain unchanged, retaining its current fast character, the main changes will be to the run-off areas and crash walls. With the FIA's approval of the project, the South African circuit now has three years to complete the necessary work. The arrival of Grade 1 is by no means a guarantee of the return of the South African Grand Prix, but it will be a powerful ally in negotiations with Liberty Media, which manages the circuits on the calendar for the premier class of motorsport.
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Yves-Henri RANDIER
19/06/2025 at 10:46 a.m.
Good news for F1 in Africa, rather than seeing more sportswashing with a GP in Rwanda, with all due respect to Jacky Ickx (sponsored by Paul Kagame) who knows the South African Kyalami track very well having raced there many times. We can trust Toby Venter, owner of Kyalami and incidentally Porsche importer South Africa, to do all the work required to upgrade this hilly track (a bit old school like Imola!) to Grade 1. The climb to Leeukop then the descent via Mineshaft to the braking point of The Krokodiles is likely to be spectacular if the track is not too distorted! If the FIA gives its approval, we can think that the project of a street circuit in Cape Town between the ocean and Table Mountain has hit a wall...