Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton is determined to accomplish a specific goal before retiring from Formula 1 – bringing the sport back to Africa. The seven-time world champion disclosed his ambition to reintroduce Grand Prix races to the continent, which has not hosted a premier-class event in the past 30 years.
Hamilton has consistently advocated for the inclusion of South Africa in the Formula 1 calendar for quite some time. His broader aspiration is to see the continent of Africa hosting a Formula 1 event, and he is determined to remain involved until this becomes a reality.
He has been actively “working in the background” to reintroduce the sport in the location where it left off 30 years ago before he retires from Formula 1. Talking to his fans in Abu Dhabi, he said:
South Africa Lost An Opportunity To Greed
The last Formula 1 Grand Prix was held in 1993 at Kyalami, South Africa. While officials in South Africa are also inclined to have Kyalami back on the calendar, 1979 World Champion Jody Scheckter revealed that a deal was about to be made but, negotiations fell apart due to the greed for money from the circuit officials. He told Total Motorsport earlier this year:
Africa Has FOM Backing
On a positive note, Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali confirmed in 2022 that Africa will be back on the calendar “very soon,” as other places apart from Kyalami were also interested in hosting the event. He told Sky Sports F1:
