FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem believes that South Africa could play a key role in a potential Formula 1 expansion into Africa.
A bumper 24-race calendar will see F1 events hosted on each of Earth’s inhabited continents next year except Africa which the World Championship has not visited in over three decades.
In 2022, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali stressed his desire to underline the series position as a world championship, stating: “There are areas of the world that want to have Formula 1, and I think that one area that we want to develop is the African area.
“We are a World Championship, and that’s an area where we are not there.”
The revamped Kyalami circuit has long been touted as a possible addition to the F1 calendar although tentative plans for a 2024 race were shelved last year amid concerns that the event would collapse before the complete contract cycle elapsed.
Africa therefore remains without an F1 race since the 1993 South African Grand Prix at Kyalami, however, FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem is keen to see that change.
“We have very good contacts in Africa,” asserted Ben Sulayem. “There should be more attention on Africa. In Africa we have a good vice president.
“We are strengthening the clubs there,” the FIA President said of the importance of growing the sport from the ground up.
“In some regions, we start at the grassroots; we call it ‘motorsport in a box’. This is a box that you get from the FIA. It contains very simple equipment such as timing and telephones. Then you can at least do speed tests.
“If we want to grow there, we can’t do it from above. I can’t give orders, the water doesn’t flow downwards here. It’s the other way around, it goes from bottom to top. You have to start at the base.
“That’s why we recently launched ‘Motorsport in a Box’, we’ll send it to you and we’ll win you over to motorsport”.
As for an eventual F1 return on the continent, Ben Sulayem believes that South Africa’s rich motorsports history, and existing infrastructure, could play a vital role.
“In South Africa they have a lot of history in motorsport. Since last year there has been a lot of talk about whether Formula 1 is coming back to Kyalami. That would be a big deal for Africa.
“We are also thinking about an electric championship that would like to involve Africa. That would be good too.
“We don’t forget Africa, we don’t forget China, but we don’t forget Latin America either. We are here in the Formula 1 paddock and see the excitement and enthusiasm.
“But in some regions there is no interest in Formula 1. For them, karting is like Formula 1. Their tracks are like Formula 1 for them. Hill climbs are everything for them.
“I always say: There is no one size that fits all. Get involved with the members! Listen to them. The answers can be very simple. Maybe they just want some support in mountain races and then they’ll be happy. They may not be interested in Formula 1, Formula 2 or Formula E. We always try to do that.”
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