Will South Africa ever host an F1 Grand Prix again?

South Africans are known as some of the most passionate supporters of motorsport in the world and Formula 1, in particular, enjoys an almost fanatical following among the country’s petrol-heads.

However, the last time local spectators enjoyed the scream of F1 engines in their own backyard was in 1993, when the last South African Grand Prix was hosted at the Kyalami circuit in Johannesburg.

Since then, the subject of reviving the event has cropped up on several occasions, but there seem to be several obstacles standing in the way of bringing the pinnacle of motorsport back to South Africa.

Historically, South Africa has a rich Grand Prix heritage, having hosted its first race in 1934.

Adrian Scholtz, CEO of Motorsport South Africa, weighs in on the likelihood of the country hosting an F1 Grand Prix within the next five to 10 years.

“The reality is that I don’t believe anyone can answer this question with any degree of certainty. Since South Africa’s last F1 Grand Prix in 1993, there have been a number of plans to bring F1 back to this country, but none of these plans has ever gained sufficient traction,” says Scholtz.

However, he points out that now that F1 is under new management, South Africa’s chances of again hosting F1 could have possibly improved somewhat, but warns the fact remains that hosting an F1 Grand Prix requires a great deal of money, a capable and willing event promoter and political support.

We have people here in South Africa capable of organizing and promoting the event, but the other two issues will likely prove more challenging in view of the prevailing economic and political climate in South Africa at the present time.

Adding to South Africa’s challenges to host an F1 Grand Prix is the fact that there no race circuits in the country that would be approved by the FIA to host an F1 event in their current form.

“Kyalami is the closest in this regard, but it too would require some upgrades to be approved for F1.  A street circuit is a possibility but building a street circuit that meets F1 standards is a major undertaking that is also very costly,” Scholtz explains.

Asked about the potential of other African countries to get a slot on the F1 calendar, Scholtz feels it would not be appropriate to comment on the ability of any other African city to host an F1 Grand Prix.

“The only other FIA-approved circuit on the African continent that I am aware of (apart from Kyalami) is in Morocco and I am not sure if this circuit has the required grading to host F1 events.

“With enough money, anything is possible, but I would be surprised if any F1 Grand Prix that may take place on the African continent in the foreseeable future were to take place anywhere other than in South Africa.”