F1 ready to return to South Africa: Kyalami receives FIA green light for Grade 1 homologation after project approval
Formula 1 may soon return to South Africa: the FIA has officially approved the redevelopment project for the Kyalami circuit, necessary to obtain a Grade 1 license, an essential requirement to host a Grand Prix. The approval marks an important step toward bringing F1 back to the African continent after more than thirty years of absence.
The owner of the circuit, Toby Venter, enthusiastically announced the news during a press conference on Wednesday. “We are ready for the return of Formula 1 to African soil. This is a pivotal moment for South African motorsport. When we acquired Kyalami in 2014, we committed to restoring it to world-class venue status. The FIA’s approval of our Grade 1 homologation project is a major step forward on that path.”
FIA gives green light to Kyalami: is Formula 1 returning to Africa?
The approved plan includes a three-year period to complete the upgrades, which will then be subject to final inspection by the FIA. Interestingly, no changes will be made to the current 4.5 km track layout: the focus will be on safety systems and infrastructure improvements.
The modifications will include updating run-off areas, enhancing safety barriers, installing new debris fences, and refurbishing kerbs and drainage systems. The work will be overseen by Apex Circuit Designs, the same firm responsible for Miami’s Formula 1 project.
Kyalami hosted 21 editions of the South African Grand Prix between 1967 and 1993. In the 1980s and 1990s, it also welcomed five MotoGP events and has long featured in endurance racing calendars, most notably with the famous Kyalami 9 Hours.
South Africa remains one of the few continents excluded from the modern F1 calendar, but Kyalami’s return could fill that gap. However, it has been specified that the major redevelopment work will only begin after Formula 1 officially confirms the South African GP’s inclusion in the calendar.
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