F1
Formula 1 soon to return to South Africa?
The 1984 South African Grand Prix at the Kyalami circuit? (Photo Eric Vargiolu / DPPI)
Is it finally time for the return of the African continent to the calendar of the Formula 1 ? Absent since the 1993 season, the South African Grand Prix could indeed be reborn in 2024, according to information from The Race. The third race in the United States so desired by Liberty Media having been announced in Las Vegas, the new main objective of the owners of Formula 1 would thus be to bring back Kyalami, a circuit which has already hosted the F1 world championship from 1967 to 1980, then from 1982 to 1985 and two last times in 1992 and 1993. A South African GP also took place there in 1981, but outside the championship.
For this, Kyalami will have to regain grade 1 of the FIA, a mandatory condition to be able to host the great Formula 1 circus. Bought in 2014 by Toby Venter, CEO of Porsche South Africa, the circuit was renovated with an extended start-finish straight. Redesigned for grade 2, the circuit would only lack an additional clearance zone and an investment in Tecpro barriers in order to be eligible.
A destination that Stefano Domenicali, boss of Formula 1, has not ruled out. Especially since Africa has often come up in the mouths of pilots recently to talk about the places where they would like to race, notably from Lewis Hamilton. “The one I really want to see is South Africa, the Briton repeated again to the media during the Australian Grand Prix. This is the next one I want to hear announced. » The seven-time world champion's wish could soon be granted, as the return of the South African Grand Prix could be Formula 1's next big announcement.
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Valentin GLO
Journalist. Endurance reporter (WEC, IMSA, ELMS, ALMS) and sometimes F1 or IndyCar.
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13/04/2022 at 11:10 a.m.
Return of South Africa to the GP Circus, good news for this country with a very strong automobile culture which created tobacco sponsorship (with the 2 Rhodesian drivers John Love and Sam Tingle in the colors of Team Gunston in Kyalami during the GP South Africa 1968), benefited from its national championship between 1960 and 1975 (including events in Mozambique and Rhodesia) and which to date has a good dozen circuits including Kyalami bought in 2014 by Toby VENTER who 'has renovated. Fan of GT and sports prototypes, will the CEO of Porsche South Africa still want to invest to receive the Grade 1... or will we see the Tilkesque project near Cape Town airport, the track of Killarney (even though it hosted F1 in the past and was used for the WRX) not being able to be upgraded to meet modern F1 standards?