Former Ferrari Formula 1 driver Giancarlo Fisichella says it will be “difficult” to host a race in Tanzania – but insists it is a “serious project”.
F1 hasn’t visited Africa since 1993, when the most recent South African Grand Prix was held at Kyalami. There has been talk for a few years now of a return to that track, but despite plenty of exploration of the project it has yet to materialise.
But there are other countries on the continent which are also keen on taking a slice of the F1 pie. Tanzania is one of them and Italian driver Fisichella, a three-time F1 race winner during his own career, is involved in the project to bring the sport to the streets of Zanzibar, off the coast of the country’s mainland.
“It’s not easy but, like Lewis [Hamilton] explained, the possibility to race in Africa in the future will be a nice thing for everybody. It’s a serious project, but it’s difficult because it’s huge.
“They want to build not only the circuit but also the infrastructure. There are a lot of people interested in it. I don’t know if it will happen or not. I’m involved with the technical parts, the design of the track. I’m an ambassador for the project.”
As Fisichella mentioned, Hamilton has been one of the biggest advocates of an F1 return to Africa. He will achieve one of his career dreams next year when he races for Ferrari, and would like to complete the other of racing in Africa before hanging up his fireproof overalls.
He travelled to the continent during the season’s summer break and revealed last month that he is involved in two other, separate projects to put on a race in the future. Hamilton said: “The time is 100 percent right. We can’t be adding races in other locations and continue to ignore Africa, which the rest of the world just takes from. No-one gives anything to Africa.
“I think having a Grand Prix there will really be able to highlight just how great the place is and bring in tourism and all sorts of things. Why are we not on that continent? There is at least one track that’s ready. In the short term, we should just get on that track and have that part of the calendar, and then work on building out something really cool.
“Rwanda is one of my favourite places I’ve been to actually. I’ve been doing a lot of work in the background on it. I’ve spoken to people in Rwanda, I’ve spoken to people in South Africa. That’s a longer project, Rwanda, but it’s amazing that they’re so keen to get a part of it.”
