The South African Grand Prix will not return to the Formula 1 calendar for 2024, but a Kyalami race for the following season has not been ruled out.
F1’s return to South Africa has been in the works for years now, with the sport wanting to establish itself as a world championship, going back to the popular Kyalami track, which last held a GP in 1993, has long been considered the most likely possibility.
F1 CEO and President Stefano Domenicali has been vocal about his efforts to restore the race, opening up about speaking with racetrack officials and other stakeholders during the past year with the aim of returning in 2024 and the possibility of adding an African race following the cancellation of the scheduled Chinese Grand Prix due to the Covid-19 outbreak, and the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix due to the severe flooding that hit the area.
Plans for a South African race have been postponed in response to allegations made by the US ambassador to South Africa that the country has provided weapons to Russia, with whom it maintains a “warm” political connection. In response to the invasion of Ukraine, F1 did terminate the Russian GP contract last year.
This entailed a renewal of the Belgian Grand Prix’s contract in Spa-Francorchamps to 2024, another classic circuit that’s been facing major uncertainty with its future.
Photo credit: Red Bull Content Pool
A spokesperson for Kyalami said: “We are aware of the fact that a 2024 Grand Prix at Kyalami is not going ahead. However, we cannot offer insight as to the reason for this decision.”
Furthermore, Motorsport.com has reported that F1 is “reluctant to push ahead with potentially unsustainable plans for a 2024 race that might lead to the event collapsing before its contracted term has fully elapsed.”
