F1 could return to Africa as Ferrari legend behind plan to fulfil Hamilton dream

29 January 2024 , 07:54

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The last time a Grand Prix was held in Africa was back in 1993 (Image: Getty Images)

Zanzibar is hoping to host the first Formula 1 Grand Prix in Africa since 1993, with former Ferrari driver Giancarlo Fisichella backing their bid.

In a post on their Facebook page, the Italian Consulate of Tanzania said the Zanzibar Investment Promotion Authority was planning to invest around €500million (£426m) to build a custom circuit.

It also states that an agreement has been signed over where the circuit will be built and that Fisichella is "in charge of supervising the technical part of the track". Construction is set to begin by September 2025 and the plan is for the circuit to be ready in 2027.

Politician Toufiq Salim Turky is quoted by Italian out Sportface.it as saying the circuit will "be a game changer" because it will "bring Africa and Zanzibar onto the world stage of tourism and services".

There has been plenty of talk in recent years of F1 returning to Africa, with South African driver Jody Scheckter part of an attempt to bring a Grand Prix back to the Kyalami circuit in Gauteng which previously hosted the South African Grand Prix.

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Speaking on the Formula For Success podcast earlier this month, Scheckter revealed: "I think it could have happened last year - my nephew had spent three years talking to government, getting everything in place and they were going to run it at Kyalami.

"Formula 1 came down there really nearly to sign it up as I understand, and the guy at Kyalami said, 'No, I want this much money and I want to do this and I want to do that'. And the government, as I understand, saw the friction between the waters and backed away from it. It was 'that close' to happening."

Lewis Hamilton wants to race in Africa before he retires (Getty Images)

Lewis Hamilton has been vocal about his desire for the sport to return to Africa and said at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix last November that he is involved in the ongoing discussions. "I'm working in the background to get South Africa on the [calendar]," he said.

"That's like such a dream for me. I've got to stay until they get that race." F1 chief Stefano Domenicali, meanwhile, has said they are "trying to find a solution for the best of the sport" that will allow to bring a Grand Prix back to Africa.

"Africa is still a continent that we are working very hard," he said last year. "As I always said, we need to find the right partners, the right middle-term plan. What I want to avoid is that we go there one year and then forget it. We are working, trying to find a solution for the best of the sport, for the best of the country."

Matthew Cooper