Lewis Hamilton ‘working’ to bring F1 to South Africa
Formula One superstar Lewis Hamilton has again emphasised his support for South Africa to added to an extended F1 race calendar.
A couple of years ago, Formula One boss Stefano Domenicali recently got a few engines revving in Mzansi after he told Sky Sports that South Africa is being lined-up as a potential new venue on an extended race calendar.
South Africa hasn’t hosted a Formula One grand prix since 1993, an incredible 29 years ago this season, but the Kyalami circuit in Johannesburg is seen to be a perfect fit for a long-awaited F1 return to Mzansi.
Lewis Hamilton has repeatedly endorsed such a move, just this week the seven-times world champion explained that South Africa – and interestingly also Rwanda – were very much in the picture to be added to the F1 calendar.
“The time’s 100% right. We can’t be adding races in other locations and continue to ignore Africa, which the rest of the world just takes from. No one gives anything to Africa,” said the outgoing Mercedes driver.
“I think having a Grand Prix there will really be able to highlight just how great the place is and bring in tourism and all sorts of things. Why are we not on that continent?
“There is at least one track that’s ready. In the short term, we should just get on that track and have that part of the calendar, and then work on building out something really cool.
“Rwanda is one of my favourite places I’ve been to actually. I’ve been doing a lot of work in the background on it,” he added.
“I’ve spoken to people in Rwanda, I’ve spoken to people in South Africa. That’s a longer project, Rwanda, but it’s amazing that they’re so keen to get a part of it.”
Watch below as Hamilton previously called for South Africa to be added to the F1 calendar:
History on the side of South Africa
The 1993 South African Grand Prix was held at Kyalami on 14 March 1993. It was the 33rd South African Grand Prix – and remains the most recent to have been staged on the African continent.
It was the first race of the 1993 F1 season and was contested over 72 laps.
The race was won from pole position by French legend Alain Prost driving a Williams-Renault.
Prost’s great rival, Brazilian Ayrton Senna, finished second in a McLaren-Ford, with Great Britain’s Mark Blundell in a Ligier-Renault rounding out the podium.
Incredibly, of the 26 starters, only five finished the race, although seven were classified.
Runner-up Senna was the only driver that winner Prost did not lap – surely an all-time Formula One record!