Lewis Hamilton on alert as sports minister gives update on F1's return to South Africa

Plenty of efforts have been made in recent years to revive the South African Grand Prix, which was last run in 1993, and Lewis Hamilton in particular is keen for the sport to return to Africa

South Africa's sports minister insists Formula 1 will "definitely" return to the country despite stalled efforts to get a Grand Prix back onto the annual calendar.

F1 last raced at the country's most famous circuit, Kyalami, in 1993. Since then, not only has South Africa been absent from the sport's schedule, but there hasn't been a single race run in the entire continent.

Chiefs are keen for that to change, as is Lewis Hamilton who has, on many occasions, expressed his desire to race in Africa. But recent efforts to revive the South African Grand Prix have struggled to make a breakthrough and plans for Kyalami to feature on the 2024 calendar were abandoned.

But, per The South African, Gayton McKenzie, the country's minister for sport, arts and culture, said: "I can tell you this, F1 is definitely coming. F1 told us they're keen to come, they told us what they will need to come, and we are going to give them what they need to come."

It seems, though, that the preference may be to avoid racing at Kyalami and possibly create a new track elsewhere. He added: "There is still a big fight at the moment - is it Cape Town, or is it Johannesburg? That decision has not been taken. I've told everybody, 'Stand back, let me handle it', because twice now we have been hearing that F1 is coming. They went to the alter twice and didn't get married, so I am here now."

There is certainly an appetite among F1 chiefs to put on an event in Africa, which remains the only continent other than Antarctica which which does not feature on the sport's calendar. Last year, chief executive Stefano Domenicali said he is "100 percent" certain that it is vital that the World Championship features an African event.

He said: "Africa is still a continent that we are working very hard. As I always said, we need to find the right partners, the right middle-term plan. What I want to avoid is that we go there one year and then forget it. We are working, trying to find a solution for the best of the sport, for the best of the country."

Hamilton visited Africa during F1's mid-season break in the summer and said he is working with interested parties to help put on a race, not only in South Africa but also Rwanda. He said: "The time is 100 percent right. We can't be adding races in other locations and continue to ignore Africa, which the rest of the world just takes from. No-one gives anything to Africa.

"I think having a Grand Prix there will really be able to highlight just how great the place is and bring in tourism and all sorts of things. Why are we not on that continent? There is at least one track that's ready. In the short term, we should just get on that track and have that part of the calendar, and then work on building out something really cool.

"Rwanda is one of my favourite places I've been to actually. I've been doing a lot of work in the background on it. I've spoken to people in Rwanda, I've spoken to people in South Africa. That's a longer project, Rwanda, but it's amazing that they're so keen to get a part of it."

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