Kyalami or Cape Town? Race to host SA F1 Grand Prix revs up

South Africa’s Formula 1 (F1) bid to host the Grand Prix is gaining momentum as the process enters the final week before interested parties submit their Request for Expression of Interest (RFEOI)  to host the F1 race in South Africa.

This comes after the RFEOI was extended by Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie in January to give stakeholders additional time to submit “comprehensive, well-structured proposals in line with the requirements”.

Start your engines

Bidding promoters across the country are expected to submit their final expression of interest bids on 18 March 2025 to be considered for qualification to host an F1 Grand Prix. In the next phase of the process, successful parties will be expected to submit detailed proposals to host an F1 Grand Prix.

This will constitute the second phase in the process towards finalising a national bid for a Formula 1 race in South Africa.

Chairperson of the SA F1 Bid Steering Committee (BSC)  Bakang Lethoko said they are “enthused” by the interest shown in the bidding process thus far and anticipate a positive and charged response once the expression of interest bids are submitted.

“Our commitment as a committee is to consider all qualifying submissions in a fair and transparent manner and are targeting to provide an outcome of this first phase by the end of April 2025.”

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Bid committee

The BSC comprises South Africans whose experience and knowledge span across various fields relevant to the bid, including legal, corporate, finance, media, motorsport and public administration.

McKenzie announced the diverse team at a media briefing held at Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit in Midrand in December last year.

Lethoko said these skills are critical to ensuring that the bidding process is well coordinated, managed and tailored to represent the best of South African talent and experience.

 “Interested parties, currently preparing bids, are reminded that all bids must be sent via e-mail as outlined in the Request for Expression of Interest document by 23:59 on 18 March 2025. No late submissions received after this deadline will be considered.”

Joburg or Cape Town

With South Africa expected to host an F1 race as early as 2027 or 2028, the grid has two bidders lined up for the chequered flag.

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Kyalami

While the Kyalami Grand Prix circuit in Midrand, north of Johannesburg, is deemed 90% ready and the frontrunner to host an F1 race, the city of Cape Town has also shown interest.

Kyalami took proactive steps by engaging the services of Apex Circuit Design  (Apex) to prepare a roadmap for FIA Grade 1 accreditation, a requirement to host a modern Formula 1 event in October last year.

To meet the requirement for an FIA Grade 1 rating needed to host an F1 race, Apex recommended upgrades estimated to cost between $5 million and $10 million (about R88.7M to R177.4M).

Kyalami owner, Toby Venter told a media contingent with The Citizen that they will prepare a presentation of the planned upgrades, including possible funders and a time frame that will be tabled during a FIA meeting for approval in the new year.

“Kyalami has been deemed 90% ready for an F1 race. As things stand, we could host Formula 1 by as early as 2027 or 2028.”

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Cape Town

However, Cape Town also wants to host the high-octane sport.

According to Motorsport Media, Boundless Motorsport, an American-funded, Western Cape Government-backed, and locally run Formula 1 Bid, is in the works to see an F1 Grand Prix run at a state-of-the-art racing circuit to be developed in the Best City in the World, Cape Town.

The brand-new, world-class, multi-purpose dual-FIM and FIA-certified Boundless Cape Town Grand Prix Circuit would be a greenfield project built close to the City.

The multi-use facility plans to host the Formula 1 Grand Prix, among other motorsport, accommodating upward of 125,000 fans.

Boundless Motorsport said proposals are in place with FOM, the commercial rights owners of Formula 1,  MotoGP governing body DORNA, as well as the South African Department of Sports, Arts and Culture Formula 1 Bid Steering Committee, with the tacit support of senior officials from the Western Cape Provincial Government.

F1 fever

Formula 1 fever in South Africa hit the headlines when  Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie met up with the Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali at the Azerbaijan Formula 1 event in September 2024.

During a recent Betway SA20 cricket clash between Mi Cape Town and Paarl Royals in Cape Town, McKenzie said he was excited about bringing F1 to the country.

“F1 is definitely going to come. We are going to be putting in our bid. We’re looking at 2027. It’s probably going to be between Cape Town and Joburg. The race is hotting up, and so far, there is a big bid coming from both cities.

“I don’t care where it is, as long as it is in South Africa,” McKenzie said.

SA F1 GP 2027?

McKenzie, in December, stated the aim is to be part of the 2027 F1 programme should the bid succeed.

“Realistically, 2027 is what we’re looking at, but because I’m a serial optimist, I think we might hear something as early as 2026. But don’t hold me to it; I’m just being myself. 2027 is the goal.”

With the Dutch Grand Prix falling off the F1 calendar after 2026, McKenzie could not confirm when asked by The Citizen whether South Africa may take that spot.

A one-year contract extension to host the race at the Zandvoort track in the Netherlands, which returned to the schedule in 2021 after a 36-year absence, has been signed to ensure there will be two more events.

While hosting an F1 race is extremely expensive, McKenzie stressed that the government will not be directing a lot of financial resources towards it as there is significant interest from the private sector.

McKenzie revealed that hosting an F1 race could require about R2 billion, emphasising that F1 race tickets will be made affordable to ordinary South Africans.

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