Formula 1 President Stefano Domenicali: ‘Getting Africa back on schedule’ remains ‘a very clear objective’

Domenicali on the prospect of Formula 1 returning to Africa for the first time since the 1990s: “Africa will return and hopefully very soon on our calendar”; no Africa-based events on exceptional F1 2023 schedule, exclusively live on Sky Sports

Formula 1 chairman Stefano Domenicali says Africa’s return to the sporting calendar remains a “very clear objective” – ​​and South Africa’s Kyalami circuit is not the continent’s only contender to host a race.

Domenicali flew to South Africa directly from the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in June for talks with local stakeholders, raising the possibility of an F1 race at the Kyalami Grand Prix circuit for the first times since 1993.

No Africa-based event is on a record 24-race calendar for 2023, which includes the Las Vegas GP and return races in China and Qatar, although Domenicali remains hopeful that F1’s return to the continent will happen “very soon”.

Lewis Hamilton has already called for a race in South Africa

“We have to make sure that when we do something new, it has to be with the right partners and have stable fundamentals to stick around for longer,” Domenicali said. sky sports. “It would be a mistake to go there for a year and then disappear if the conditions are not met correctly.

“It’s about having the right financial assets, but also having the venue ready for the weekend we want to host there.

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Craig Slater explains how a record 24 races will play out on the Formula 1 calendar next season.

“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.

“It’s a very clear goal: Africa will come back and hopefully very soon on our calendar.”

Stefano Domenicali remains hopeful that Africa will return to the Formula 1 calendar in the future

The exceptional 2023 calendar will include three races in the United States, as Las Vegas joins Miami and Austin as host cities, Domenicali being pleased with the rapid growth of F1 in this region.

“The signals we receive [on the USA market] are amazing,” added Domenicali. “A few years ago we thought we had to keep fighting to stay there and invest, but now there is an incredible sign of a boom. It’s impressive.

“For sure it’s a market where a lot of resources will be dedicated, but we have to respect a lot of parts of the world and there’s a lot of attention everywhere.”

Sky Sports will remain Formula 1 headquarters with the signing of a multi-year contract

Sky Sports will remain the exclusive Formula 1 headquarters in the UK and Ireland until 2029 after Sky extended its partnership with the sport.

The multi-year extension also cements Sky as the official F1 broadcaster in all Sky markets, Sky Italia and Sky Deutschland, with Austria and Switzerland retaining the rights until the end of 2027 with greater exclusivity.

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Following Sky’s seven-year extension to cover Formula 1, catch some of the sport’s best moments from the previous decade, live exclusively on Sky Sports.

As part of the award-winning coverage, all races, qualifying and practice sessions will continue to be exclusively live on Sky Sports F1, while live domestic races and highlights from all other races will be shared clear.

Domenicali said: “We are incredibly proud of our long-term partnership with Sky, and we are delighted to announce that we will continue to work together until 2029, a very important commitment from Sky.

“Since our relationship began in 2012, we have both strived to bring the excitement, emotion and drama of Formula 1 to our traditional fans while engaging new and more diverse audiences.

“Formula 1 has seen tremendous growth in recent years, and I can’t think of a better partner to continue to reach our fans with dedicated, expert and in-depth coverage. Sky not only provides live coverage to fans, but a range of behind-the-scenes access and content that brings F1 to life.”