Since Formula One (F1) became a World Championship in 1950, Africa remains the only underrepresented continent in the sport’s global growth. In its 75 years of running, only Morocco and South Africa have hosted F1 races and those were held as far back as the 20th century.

This over-three-decade absence on the continent has been a gap too long, and now Nigeria seems at the forefront of championing a return. On July 23, the National Sports Commission (NSC) confirmed the reports that it had begun efforts to bring a grand prix to Abuja “as soon as practicable, not just as a sporting event, but as a catalytic driver of tourism, infrastructure development, youth engagement and economic growth.”

The NSC said it had partnered with Opus Racing Promotions, a company owned by former footballers Marvin Sordell and Daniel Uchechi, to represent it in talks with the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), F1’s global governing body.

Even so, this development has triggered a flurry of banter on social media, with many finding it difficult to draw a logical parallel between Nigeria’s known infrastructure deficit and its ambition to lead the return of the world’s most prestigious motor racing competition to the continent.

Nigeria’s F1 Prospect

Above all the banter that has trailed the news, hosting an F1 grand prix in Nigeria isn’t as unfeasible as hosting competitions like the World Cup or even the Africa Cup of Nations. This is not because the country boasts tangible existing infrastructure or has a rich existing relationship with the sports global body, but more because of F1’s requirements.

Contrary to what’s popular or what many have been made to believe, an F1 race — or any motorsport racing at all — doesn’t take place on a regular road. In fact, nowhere is a traditional road used. Tracks used in motor racing are called circuits, and there are two main types: street circuits, which are temporary tracks developed from regular city roads, and permanent circuits, which are built specifically for racing. For any circuit to qualify for an F1 race, it must meet the FIA’s Grade 1 Certification, which requires a minimum length of 3.5 km, along with advanced medical facilities and personnel, barrier safety design, spectator grandstands and amenities, and several other factors that ensure safety and efficiency for the cars, drivers and audience.

To put it into context, the ongoing 2025 F1 calendar features 24 rounds across 21 countries. While the number of street circuits has hit a record high of seven, it still falls short of the 17 purpose-built circuits. 

This means Nigeria, much like any other country nursing an ambition of hosting an F1 grand prix, can position itself as a worthy option by developing a purpose-built Grade 1-standard circuit. 

Who’s Best Positioned for an F1 Grand Prix Return in Africa?

F1’s return to Africa has always been much anticipated over the years. Before Nigeria appeared on the scene, F1 stakeholders, including seven-time record champion Sir Lewis Hamilton and F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali, had admitted the growing need for the competition to return.

South Africa, being the last African nation that hosted an F1 grand prix at its Kyalami Circuit in 1993, has been a frontrunner in Africa’s F1 return bid.  Though the Kyalami Circuit, which is reportedly on an FIA Grade 2 status, would need to improve to Grade 1 level to host F1, discussions have already been held between the country and the FIA, and Domenicali paid a visit to the facility in 2022. There were strong speculations of the country hosting in 2024, but the bid hit a snag mainly due to South Africa’s multilateral relationships with Russia, a nation that F1 has red-flagged after it invaded Ukraine. Reports also suggest that some greedy moves from South African officials are another stumbling block, but the latest from South Africa’s Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, offers some hope that the ambition isn’t quite over yet.

“The Grand Prix is definitely coming in 2027, no doubt about that. Whether it is Cape Town or Joburg, we do not care as long as the grand prix is coming to South Africa,’’ he said in early February per Al Jazeera.

Elsewhere, while Morocco did host F1 races between 1957 and 1958 at its Ain-Diab circuit in Casablanca, there haven’t been concrete efforts for a comeback in the North African territory. Rather, a Rwandan F1 grand prix seems more likely.

The Rwandan government and the FIA have had a series of discussions over the possibility of an F1 grand priz in Kigali. While the East African country does not exactly have a rich history with the sport, nor a fully developed circuit — considering there hasn’t been a fresh update on the rumoured track being developed near the new Bugesera airport by former F1 driver Alexander Wurz — it does have a great relationship with the sport’s governing body. Last December, Rwanda doubled as a hotspot for F1 on the continent, hosting the FIA’s General Assembly as well as the FIA Awards annual prize-giving gala, where Red Bull’s Max Verstappen was crowned F1 champion for the fourth consecutive time. Amid the fanfare, Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame formally announced the country’s bid to host F1 during the FIA General Assembly in Kigali, further adding to Domenicali and Mohammed Ben Sulayem, F1’s president’s repeated assurances of the country’s seriousness.

However, Rwanda’s allure has been soured by its alleged role in the insecurity plaguing the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo. With years-old claims from the DRC and the United Nations against Rwanda for backing the M23 rebels that have been killing thousands and displacing millions in eastern Congo, the Congolese government formally petitioned F1 in February to desist from partnering with Rwanda so as to save itself from being “smeared by a blood-stained association.”

Congo’s concern was received with a statement from F1, who claimed to be monitoring the situation earlier in February.

The complexities surrounding the ambitions of South Africa and Rwanda, both of which should naturally be leading the charge for F1’s return to the continent, mean nothing is set in stone just yet. This, in a way, gives Nigeria an unlikely advantage, despite arriving late to the conversation and having little in terms of racing pedigree or pre-existing relationship with the sport’s body. Ultimately, with F1 stops in China, the Netherlands, Belgium, Mexico, Imola, Monza and Monaco set to have their current deals expire by 2025, a much-needed slot for Africa to reinforce F1’s status as a world championship remains open. It now depends on which African nation will from here transform into the most romantic option that the FIA considers a stable venue capable of becoming a fixture for the long term.