David Coulthard, former Formula 1 driver, has hinted that a significant announcement regarding the long-awaited return of the championship to Africa could happen soon. On the podcast Up To Speed, alongside co-host Will Buxton, Coulthard expressed his belief that the inclusion of an African race in the 2027 calendar is close to becoming a reality.
During a discussion about the Bahrain Grand Prix at the Sepang circuit, Coulthard and Buxton advocated for the Malaysian track to return to the F1 agenda. With the inclusion of Portugal and Turkey in the calendar, the veteran driver acknowledged the difficulty of integrating a new African circuit into a schedule that already features 24 races.
“I’m hearing rumors that we will have an announcement about Africa soon. So we will be taking a trip to Africa,” Coulthard said, adding that the Portimão circuit is also an excellent track and that the future will keep him busy with new dates.
Stefano Domenicali, CEO of F1, commented that negotiations for a Grand Prix in Africa are progressing satisfactorily, confirming that next year the competition will return to Portugal and Turkey. Additionally, he mentioned that there are ongoing dialogues with countries in South America and the Far East.
F1 has not raced in Africa since the South African Grand Prix in 1993 at Kyalami. Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton has been one of the main advocates for including Africa in the calendar, arguing that it is essential to have a race on this continent and reminding that he has been working towards this direction for years.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
