South Africa mulls two F1 return options

Article posted by Coliseum, April 22^nd, 2025

Image: Tilke GmbH

The South African government is considering two options as it looks to bring Formula 1 back to the country for the first time since 1993.

Autosport said organisers behind Cape Town’s bid have detailed the latest changes to their street race proposal and South African authorities are nearing a decision on which project to support.

F1 has not raced on the African continent since 1993, when the Kyalami circuit on the outskirts of Johannesburg hosted the 33rd and final iteration of the South African Grand Prix.

Kyalami is one of two potential options for a return to South Africa, with the street circuit in Cape Town the other realistic offer.

London (UK)-based Formula One, commonly abbreviated as F1, is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA).

Cape Town’s bid is hoping the central, urban location of its Tilke-designed 5.7km circuit, snaking around the Green Point harbour and utilising the facilities around the DHL Stadium will help it get across the line.

The 62,000-capacity DHL Stadium is an association football and rugby union stadium in Cape Town, South Africa, that was built for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™.

Cape Town GP CEO Igshaan Amlay said, “The latest design has all the bells and whistles. It’s partly on the waterfront and it also uses the facilities that have been used for the football World Cup.

“We meet all the requirements, with the airport 15 to 20 minutes away from the circuit; we’ve got a top hospital on site and plenty of hotels within walking distance. What also plays a big role is the natural backdrops of Robben Island, the waterfront and Table Mountain. Cape Town has a lot to offer as our top holiday destination.

“We’re up against Kyalami, which has a rich Formula 1 history, so it’s a street race versus a purpose-built circuit. We’ll be waiting to see what the decision will be. Here we could easily accommodate 250,000 people, so it makes it more accessible to more people.”

Contrary to previous proposals, the latest design would not take the circuit through the DHL Stadium itself but run alongside it, using the venue for the paddock, media centre and hospitality areas.

Amlay added, “The purpose of running through the stadium was that it can take a capacity of up to 70,000 people and our intention was to make it accessible to people that can never afford to go to a Formula 1 race. After speaking to the circuit’s designers, there are a few obstacles and it would be better to actually run along the circuit.

“DHL Stadium will be used for the paddocks and the media centre. Everything that was set up for the football World Cup will be reactivated, and it’s already existent within the stadium, so we will make full use of it.

“We will still run through the original Green Point athletics stadium, which has a rich legacy.”

South Africa is facing the likes of Thailand, Rwanda and South Korea for a place on the calendar from 2028 and beyond.

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