Will South Africa make its grand return to the World Cup calendar? Formula 1, more than thirty years after the last edition in 1993? The rainbow nation's desire to bring the most important category of motorsport back to its country has been great for several years. In 1 it even came close to the visit of the F2023, but in the end no agreement was reached.
The revival of the South African Grand Prix looks closer than ever since Gayton McKenzie, the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, launched a tender for interested developers on Friday 17 January « to participate in South Africa's attempt to host a Formula 1 (F1) Grand Prix in 2026/27 and beyond .
In its call document for potentially interested companies, the government does not rule out the possibility of receiving applications for the construction of a new permanent circuit or for a city race. The Kyalami historic route, which hosted the event from 1967 to 1985 and then in 1992 and 1993, currently does not have the FIA Grade 1 required to host an F1 Grand Prix.
Nevertheless, the government provides some details about future applications: the circuit must be accessible in 30 minutes from a large city or a destination recognized as desirable via multiple transport options, it must be able to accommodate 125 spectators per day, of which at least three quarters. Are you coming by public transport, then the route must be between 000 and 4.5 kilometers long, including a flat straight section of at least one kilometer.
Applications will be assessed by a jury of twelve people from different backgrounds (motorsport, media, law) and must be submitted no later than January 31, 2025.
-« This marks an exciting milestone in our journey to bring Formula 1 to South Africaexplains the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie. The publication of the Request for Invitation to Participate demonstrates our commitment to an open, inclusive and competitive process, demonstrating South Africa's ability to host a world-class motorsport event and further broadening our ambitions in terms of economic growth and global recognition. »
South African media BusinessTech recently reported that the city of Cape Town was in the race to welcome Formula 1 to its streets with a 5.7 kilometer circuit around the DHL Stadium.
READ ALSO > What if F1 returns to South Africa… but not to Kyalami?
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