There are a few things that bring Lewis Hamilton & Max Verstappen together- one such being the wish of having a race in Africa. Many drivers have voiced the same opinion, as F1 touches down on every continent but the Mother Continent.
Teasing the F1 community with a potential South African GP in Kyalami, many were looking forward to its addition to the F1 calendar. However, as the schedule was revealed, people saw broken promises.
Insider reveals why South African GP deal failed
F1 champion Jody Scheckter reveals he was a part of the conversation to put Africa on the F1 map after three decades. Talking to Total Motorsport.com, the South African local revealed his nephew worked on making a deal for six long years. However, at the last minute, all of it went to waste.
Narrating the collapse of the plan, he said, “It was that close. The guy from Kyalami went from 500,000 to 2 million, and he wanted to take the whole thing over.”
Dealing with the ‘rich man’s sport,’ money was the evil that ruined what could have been. “F1 came over to sign. He had got government backing, some of the wealthiest people in South Africa behind it. Everything was in place, and the guy from Kyalami got greedy.”
Just as soon as the F1 officials left, the circuit administrator changed everything- leading the government to understand the wrangle going on, and hence, backing down.
Scheckter is left discouraged at the revival of this fantasy. “Maybe it’ll happen back here again. I don’t know.”
Lewis Hamilton advocates the need for South African GP
Lewis Hamilton has made the loudest noise when it comes to fighting for the race in Kyalami. In love with the beautiful country, Hamilton had said, “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.”
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Tapping into the business mindset of the sport, Hamilton sold the idea of a return to the motherland, “there is a great following out there.”
The Kyalami circuit has hosted 23 races in the past, from 1962 to 1993. Although its prospect seems bleak, F1 is known for pulling the impossible. With three American races this season and more to come in the future, surely we can squeeze a quick trip to South Africa in between.
