Lewis Hamilton gets update on F1 wish as CEO speaks out

Mercedes: What’s gone wrong at the F1 and can they recover?

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Lewis Hamilton could see a Grand Prix in Africa within the near future as talks over a 2023 race collapsed. Kyalami was tipped to make an appearance on next season’s calendar but an agreement could not be reached.

It is understood promoters for the Kyalami circuit were unable to deliver financial guarantees to hold the race. RacingNews365 revealed the FIA sent a delegation to the country to strike a deal back in July.

But, it was said the circuit would also need to make a number of changes to achieve an FIA Grade One licence needed to host an F1 race. Instead, F1 bosses have hinted there are other venues in Africa which could host the continent’s first F1 race for 30 years.

F1 boss Stefano Domenicali explained the “conditions were not right” in the previous deal but stressed Africa was in their sights. The CEO confirmed they are looking at “other places” across the region that are interested in hosting a Grand Prix.

Speaking to Sky Italia, he said: “It’s a very clear goal. Africa will come back and hopefully be on our calendar very soon. We just have to make sure that when we do something new, we do it with the right partners and have a stable foundation to stay longer.

“It would be wrong to go there for a year and then disappear if the conditions are not right. It’s not only about having the right financial means, but also preparing the place for the weekend we want to host there. The only thing I can say after the first contact with Kyalami is that there are other places in Africa that are interested in Formula 1 as well.”

The inability to secure a deal means the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps is handed a reprise.

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It was thought the iconic layout would be axed if a deal was brokered for a race in South Africa to make room on F1’s record calendar for next season. Hamilton revealed his interest in a South African race back in June and reiterated the importance of the event a couple of months later.

Speaking ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix when hopes of a 2023 race began to fade, the seven-time champion stressed the series “needs” to expand to the region. He said: “I’ve been pushing a lot in the background to get the Grand Prix there.

“I’m happy with the talks that have been [happening], and Stefano has been doing an amazing job trying to get it to happen. I’m still hopeful that there might be a race next year, you can never say never. As long as we get it on the calendar, we need to have a Grand Prix there.”

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