Domenicali on prospect of Formula 1 return to Africa for the first time since the 1990s: "Africa will come back and hopefully very soon on our calendar"; no African-based event on bumper 2023 F1 schedule, exclusively live on Sky Sports
Friday 30 September 2022 11:55, UK
Formula 1 president Stefano Domenicali says getting Africa back on the sport's calendar remains a "very clear target" - and South Africa's Kyalami circuit is not the continent's only contender to host a race.
Domenicali flew to South Africa directly from June's Azerbaijan Grand Prix for talks with local stakeholders, raising possibility of an F1 race at the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit for the first time since 1993.
No African-based event features on a record 24-race calendar for 2023 which includes the Las Vegas GP and returning races in China and Qatar, although Domenicali remains hopeful that F1's return to the continent will happen "very soon".
"We need to make sure when we do something new, that it has to be with the right partners and be stable fundamentals to stay longer," Domenicali told Sky Sports. "It would be wrong to go there one year and then disappear if the conditions aren't done properly.
"It's a matter of having the right financial assets, but also having the site ready for the weekend that we want to host in that place.
"The only thing that I can say that after the first contact with Kyalami is that there are other places in Africa that are interested on Formula One.
"That's a very clear target: Africa will come back and hopefully very soon on our calendar."
The bumper 2023 schedule will include three races in the United States, as Las Vegas joins Miami and Austin as host cities, with Domenicali pleased with the rapid growth of F1 in that region.
"The signals that we are receiving [on the USA market] are incredible," Domenicali added. "A couple of years ago we were thinking do we need to keep fighting to stay there and invest, but now there is an incredible sign of boom. It's impressive.
"For sure it is a market where a lot of resources will be dedicated, but we need to respect a lot of the regions around the world and there is a lot of attention everywhere."
Sky Sports will remain the exclusive home of Formula 1 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 broadcaster of F1 in all Sky markets, with Sky Italia and Sky Deutschland, Austria and Switzerland retaining rights until the end of 2027 with greater exclusivity.
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 home nation races and highlights of all other races will be shared on free-to-air.
Domenicali said: "We are incredibly proud of our long-term partnership with Sky, and we are delighted to announce that we will continue working together until 2029, a very important commitment from Sky.
"Since the beginning of our relationship 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 huge 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 brings fans live coverage but a range of behind-the-scenes access and content that brings F1 to life."
