On Friday, South Africa's Department of Sport, Arts and Culture released a request for expressions of interest (RFEOI) for parties interested in participating in the country's Formula 1 race starting in 2026 or 2027 “and beyond”.
This is an important next step for the country as it aims to join the F1 grid.
in announcement The country's Minister for Sport, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, highlighted the importance of this milestone.
“This is an exciting step in our journey to bring Formula 1 to South Africa,” Minister McKenzie said. “The announcement of the RFEOI demonstrates our commitment to an open, inclusive and competitive process and reinforces South Africa’s ability to host world-class motorsport events and our commitment to economic growth and global recognition. It shows a wide range of ambitions.”
At RFEOI, You can check it herethe history of F1 in this country is written at the beginning. South Africa hosted its first Grand Prix in 1934 and became a regular part of the F1 schedule from 1962. The South African Grand Prix was featured on the F1 calendar almost every season until the final race in 1993.
The news comes as F1 has announced in recent months that two races currently on the calendar, the Belgian Grand Prix and the Dutch Grand Prix, will either be canceled or moved to a rotational basis. The Dutch Grand Prix will “end its great run” in 2026, but the recent extension of the Belgian Grand Prix means the F1 schedule will skip 2028 and 2030, with races taking place in 2026, 2027, 2029 and 2031. That will happen. These changes could potentially increase the number of spots available. It is on the annual calendar of new venues in South Africa and elsewhere.
In recent years, a number of key figures in F1, including driver Lewis Hamilton, have pushed for the sport to return to Africa.
This step brings that goal closer to reality.
