After rumours arose that South Africa may host its first Formula 1 (F1) race since 1993 in 2023, and then in 2024 when initial negotiations fell through, it’s now looking more unlikely than ever that the event will make a return to Kyalami any time soon.
A decision has been made by F1 to abandon plans for a South African Grand Prix “in the near future due to political reasons,” reports RacingNews365.
“According to sources, the decision was taken because South Africa has aligned closely with Russia,” said the usually well-informed publication.
F1 did not provide official confirmation that the decision has been reached, however, 777, an alternative investment firm that is the official event promoter, has yet to sign a contract for the hire of the Kyalami circuit in Midrand, Gauteng despite priorly agreeing to rent the racetrack.
An F1 race on local soil has therefore been deemed “untenable in the near future.”
A blanket ban on Russian participation
The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) who is the governing body of Formula 1 instated a blanket ban on Russian and Belarusian participation following the former’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, except for those willing to sign a neutrality agreement.
This saw the Russian Grand Prix promptly dropped from the calendar in 2022 resulting in a 22-race championship.
With South Africa failing to denounce the invasion, local F1 talks have hit another unexpected roadblock.
The general public is unconvinced by the national government’s claim of neutrality as it allowed a sanctioned Russian cargo ship to dock at Simon’s Town Naval Base in December, engaged in a joint Russian/Chinese naval exercise off the KwaZulu-Natal coast in February, and allowed a military aircraft that has been sanctioned for transporting arms for the Russian paramilitary Wagner Group to land at Waterkloof Air Force Base in April.
Additionally, the governing party has attempted to provide diplomatic immunity to members of the BRICS nations in an attempt to sidestep its responsibility to the International Criminal Court to arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin in August when he is expected to attend a summit in Pretoria.
These actions have brought the authenticity of South Africa’s neutrality into question and therefore its viability as a location for an F1 race, according to RacingNews365.
Keyword: South African Formula 1 – Dead in the water