South Africa Puts Brakes on 2027 F1 Bid

The country was focused on preparing a bid to host its first Grand Prix in 33 years at the Kyalami race track, following positive feedback from the sport’s governing body, the FIA.

Focus Shifts to a Bid in 2028 or 2029

According to GrandPrix.com, ‘the FIA has already approved plans to upgrade the circuit to Grade 1 standard, with work expected to be completed in 2026.’

The bid had gained momentum with McKenzie meeting with F1’s leadership, including F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in September 2024, and FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem.

However, McKenzie says South Africa’s hopes of hosting the motorsport event in 2027 have been curtailed. Speaking to eNCA, he said: “Well, next year, definitely not, because we have underestimated what is required to host the F1 event.”

The minister said a new team has been established to focus on putting together a more formidable bid to host the racing spectacle in 2028 or 2029.

Top Tier of Motorsport

According to Statista.com, hosting an F1 race could cost as much as R1 billion, with Azerbaijan reportedly paying a $57 million (roughly R1 billion) hosting fee in 2023.

Watch the full interview here –https://www.enca.com/sport/sa-shifts-f1-bid-focus-202829