Africa's F1 return boosted by 'very good' progress in negotiations

The last time Formula 1 raced in Africa was in 1993, when Alain Prost claimed victory in the South African Grand Prix at Kyalami behind the wheel of his Williams. Since then, the championship has evolved into an increasingly global series, with the calendar now featuring 24 Grands Prix across five continents: Europe, Asia, North America, South America and Oceania. Africa, however, remains the only inhabited continent that has not hosted a Formula 1 race for more than 30 years.

Speaking to GPblog among other international media, Domenicali said Formula 1 is making encouraging progress in its efforts to bring a Grand Prix back to Africa. He also revealed that the championship remains in talks with potential hosts across several regions, including South America and the Far East, while Portugal and Türkiye are among the venues being considered for future editions of the calendar.

Although there is strong interest from multiple venues in China, he explained that Formula 1 intends to stick with a single race there for the time being in order to further strengthen its position in the market before considering any expansion.

In the same interview, Domenicali also addressed the possibility of a future German Grand Prix, revealing that Formula 1 has resumed discussions with representatives from Hockenheim over a potential long-term return to the calendar.

He explained that renewed momentum has come from the championship's growing popularity in Germany, helped by its new broadcast agreement with RTL. Domenicali added that increasing interest from broadcasters ahead of the next media rights tender is another indication that Formula 1 continues to strengthen its position in Europe, a region he described as one of the sport's most important markets.