Hamilton says he will keep racing until F1 reaches Africa
The seven-time champion, 41, says a Grand Prix in Rwanda would be a race for the whole continent, and that African history belongs in Britain's classrooms.
Lire cet article en français →
Austin — Lewis Hamilton says the prospect of a Formula One race in Africa gives him a reason to keep driving for several more years. Speaking in Austin, Texas, on Thursday ahead of Sunday's United States Grand Prix, the Ferrari driver said he has campaigned for an African round for many years, Africanews (AP) and Actualite.cd report.
A race for a continent
Last week Formula One announced a ten-year agreement with Rwanda, expected to bring a Grand Prix to the calendar in the early 2030s, once a circuit is built. It would be the first world championship race in Africa since the 1993 South African Grand Prix near Johannesburg.
Hamilton, the sport's only Black driver, said the race would be about more than one country: it would be about the continent and its culture, which he believes deserves the world's attention. He now has to stay fit and keep performing, he said, so that he is still on the grid when it happens. He is 41, third in this season's drivers' standings, and is believed to have at least one more year on his Ferrari contract, with an option for 2028.
Humility, and history lessons
Asked about criticism of the choice of Rwanda from human-rights groups, and objections from neighbouring Congo, Hamilton said he had read the reports and that the visit should be approached with humility; racing there, he said, does not mean ignoring what happens there. He also called for freedom for the people of Congo, Sudan, Syria and Palestine.
He said he was taught nothing about Africa growing up in England and that its history, including colonialism, should be on the school curriculum. He praised the continent's resources and the initiative of its people, and said he hoped African countries would grow more united.
Sources: Africanews / AP and Actualite.cd, 23 October 2026.
