Hamilton backs F1's Rwanda race and hints he may keep racing to see it

Hamilton wants the race and more time to see it

Lewis Hamilton said on Thursday, 22 October, at Austin, Texas, that he has pushed for a race in Africa for many years and now expects to stay in Formula 1 longer to see one. The 41-year-old Ferrari driver, a seven-time world champion, said he would have to keep himself fit and keep producing strong results for the plan to go ahead. AP reports he is believed to have at least one year left on his Ferrari deal, with an option for 2028. Hamilton has not won a title since 2020 and currently sits third in the drivers' standings. Fernando Alonso, who is 45 and has confirmed he will race at least one more season, is also still competing, according to ANSA.

It's about more than just one country. It's about the continent itself.

A circuit in Bugesera

The track is being built at Bugesera, roughly 40 kilometres south of Kigali and close to the new international airport. The circuit is being constructed specifically for the event, and no debut date has been fixed, with Formula 1 saying only that racing would start in the early 2030s. G4Media reports that former driver Alex Wurz will design the layout, which is meant to be fast and spectacular. The Visit Rwanda brand is backing the project. Formula 1 last raced in Africa in 1993, when Alain Prost beat Ayrton Senna at Kyalami in South Africa, a year in which Hamilton was eight, according to N-tv.

Criticism from human rights groups

Amnesty International accuses Formula 1 of contributing to the sportswashing of Rwandan authorities, criticising the country's human rights record and its alleged responsibility in the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. President Paul Kagame has been accused of repressive methods to hold on to power, with opponents dying in prisons and independent media being muzzled. Congo, the United States and UN experts accuse Rwanda of backing the M23 rebels fighting in Congo, while Kigali says it is not directly involved in supporting them. The DRC has also accused Rwanda of profiting from the "illegal exploitation of Congolese minerals".

Hamilton's wider plea

Hamilton said he does not get to choose where the sport goes, but argued that racing in a place does not mean ignoring what happens there. He said people should educate themselves about what Africa has been through for centuries, and that English schooling taught him almost nothing about the continent. He said many of the problems there are still rooted in colonialism and Western intervention, and that he still hopes Africa unites. Asked about the Rwanda decision, he widened his answer to other conflicts.

I think we need to make sure we're pushing to free Congo, free Sudan, free Syria, free Palestine.

Of course, going there doesn't mean that you neglect the things that are happening there.

What comes next

Hamilton races at the United States Grand Prix in Austin on Sunday, 25 October. After the Singapore race he stood third in the standings on 229 points, behind Kimi Antonelli on 340 and George Russell on 238, according to G4Media. No date has been set for the Rwanda race, and the circuit's construction at Bugesera has no fixed timetable.