South Africa aims to bring Formula 1 back: Cape Town unveils new street circuit. Africa wants Formula 1: Cape Town street circuit unveiled.

It is now official: South Africa wants to bring Formula 1 back within its borders. The final decision will now rest with the Government, which is called to choose between two projects: the traditional Kyalami circuit and the new proposal for the Cape Town street circuit. The deadline to decide which bid to support has been set for the end of the month.

The layout of the Cape Town urban circuit, 5.7 km long, was designed by Hermann Tilke and winds around the Green Point harbor area, also incorporating the DHL Stadium facilities, built for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

In an interview with Autosport, the CEO of the Cape Town GP, Igshaan Amlay, stated: “Our project ticks all the boxes. Part of it overlooks the waterfront, the airport is only 15–20 minutes away, there’s a top-tier hospital nearby, and numerous hotels are easily accessible. The natural setting provided by Robben Island, the waterfront, and Table Mountain makes Cape Town a top tourist destination.”

The competition is with Kyalami, a historic South African circuit that has already hosted numerous Grands Prix. “It’s a race between a street circuit and a permanent one. Here we could host up to 250,000 spectators, making the event more accessible to the public,” the CEO emphasized.

Initially, the organizers’ ambitious idea was to have the circuit pass through the stadium, allowing access for an additional 70,000 spectators, especially for those who usually cannot afford a ticket to a Formula 1 race. However, as Amlay explains: “After consulting with the designers, we were advised to avoid that solution due to technical obstacles. The stadium will still be fully utilized: it will host the paddock and media center, making use of the existing infrastructure from the World Cup.”

Amlay has been trying to bring F1 back to South Africa for at least a decade. In the past, he held several talks with Bernie Ecclestone, but without success. Now, however, the conditions finally seem ripe. If everything goes according to plan, we may soon see Formula 1 return to the fifth and final continent still missing from the calendar.