Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie has vowed to bring Formula One back to South Africa in 2027.
The minister made the announcement in Cape Town on Monday, where he told Smile 90.4 FM that negotiations are well underway.
“F1 is not a sport you just bring over. There are some boxes you’ve got to tick and we are busy ticking those boxes. We are busy speaking to the right people. We are going to make sure that Betway and all the major companies play a role in that. We are going to ensure that F1 is coming home,” said a determined McKenzie.
In a recent video, McKenzie also shared that Cape Town is getting a new FIA-approved racetrack which coincides with his preparations for getting the country ready to host the popular motorsport.
More details regarding the proposed race track is, however, not yet confirmed. McKenzie, who considers himself a petrolhead, added that his dream is already backed by some of F1’s greats.
McKenzie aims to have the first local race in the next 2-3 years.
“2026 would be a stretch but you never know, but 2027 definitely. We are going to get them here. We’ve got Lewis Hamilton. We’ve got David Coulthard, what a great guy. We have got all these people rooting for us. We are missing a continent in F1. We are all petrolheads, it’s coming,” said McKenzie.
The last time South Africa hosted a Formula 1 race was at the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit, in Midrand, in 1993.
