Lewis Hamilton- I want to race in Africa before I retire

Piece by: HANNIE PETRA

24 November 2023

•Formula One last raced at the Kyalami circuit, north of Johannesburg, in 1993.

British Formula One (F10 race driver Lewis Carl Hamilton has revealed one of his biggest dreams in his racing career is getting to do a race weekend in the beautiful continent of Africa.

The 38-year-old Mercedes racer during an interview with reporters at Austin's Circuit of the Americas ahead of Sunday's grand prix announced how he was eager to have the F1 return back to Africa, highlighting the sport's absence from the continent since 1993.

Sir Hamilton noted he had been emphasizing his ongoing efforts to ensure a race happens adding he was hopefully the dream would come to life very soon.

"The place that I really feel is dear to my heart and most important for me is to get a race back in South Africa.

I have been shouting about having a race in Miami, and the next one I have been talking about is South Africa and that is what I am pushing for in the background and hopefully we will get to see it come to life soon," excitedly said the seven times Formula One world champion British racer.

Lewis Hamilton went on to add that he wasn't just looking at South Africa as he wanted to experience the vastness of the motherland. He added that having a race in any country within the African continent has always been a huge dream of his which he notes he would like to fulfill before the end of his career.

"And that is a very big dream for me, to have raced in South Africa and in Africa during my career is a huge huge huge dream for me.

So... I know we have a big following out there, I have a BIG following out that and I know a lot of people are into Formula one now so I am pushing as hard as I can in the background and going high, higher up... I am trying to make sure that race happens.

And it would be great to be able to highlight just how beautiful the motherland is," said the sport's only Black driver.

Formula One last raced at the Kyalami circuit, north of Johannesburg, in 1993. Do you think F1 would consider adding Kenya on its African tours if Sir Hamilton's dreams get actualized?