South Africa is actively working on a proposal to bring Formula 1 to the country. The South African nation hopes to bring the premier class back to the African continent. Although there were many rumors that Formula 1 would return to the iconic Kyalami circuit, Cape Town has revealed that it also wants to propose a street race through the South African city.
Formula 1 is becoming increasingly popular. As a result, more and more countries are lining up to host their own Grand Prix. South Africa is no exception. It seems that the African country is getting closer to a concrete proposal for its own race. The organizers behind the plan for a F1 street race in Cape Town are now revealing the details of their proposal.
The street race in Cape Town would run through the Green Point neighborhood, and past the DHL stadium. The stadium was built for the 2010 World Cup. The building could serve as the paddock for a potential Grand Prix in Cape Town. Reportedly, the plan for a street race in the South African city must compete against a proposal to bring F1 back to Kyalami. The last time the circuit was used by Formula 1 was in 1993.
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“The latest design has all the bells and whistles,” Igshaan Amlay, the CEO of Cape Town GP, attempts to sell his plan via Autosport. “We meet all the requirements, with the airport fifteen to twenty minutes away from the circuit. We have a good hospital on site and plenty of hotels within walking distance.” Although Amlay is convinced that Cape Town as a street race has a lot to offer, the proposal has to compete with Kyalami. “Kyalami has a rich Formula 1 history, so it’s a street race versus a specially built circuit. We’ll wait and see what the decision will be. We can easily accommodate 250,000 people here, so it makes the race more accessible to more people.”
Competition on the Horizon
If Cape Town’s plan is preferred by the South African government, it is still not certain that the F1 will actually race through the city’s streets. Thailand, Rwanda, and South Korea are also trying to bring the premier class to their countries.
