No Africa GP, No Exit? Lewis Hamilton Reveals His Final F1 Wish Before Retirement

Last Updated:March 05, 2026, 15:50 IST

Lewis Hamilton dreams of racing in Africa before retiring. The F1 icon, with roots in Benin, Senegal, and Nigeria, urges for a Grand Prix there.

Lewis Hamilton knows the clock is ticking on his legendary career.

But before the seven-time world champion even thinks about hanging up the helmet, he has one dream left on his F1 bucket list: racing on African soil.

Speaking ahead of the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne, the 41-year-old Brit revealed more about his personal connection to the continent while once again pushing for F1 to return there.

“I’m half African. I’ve got roots from a few different places there — Benin, Senegal, Nigeria," Hamilton said during the FIA press conference.

The F1 icon, who joined Scuderia Ferrari in 2025, said the continent holds a special place in his heart.

“It’s something I’m really proud of, that part of the world," he added. “I think it is the most beautiful part of the world, and I don’t like that the rest of the world owns so much of it and takes so much from it, and no one speaks about it."

A race Africa has waited decades for

Hamilton — F1’s first Black driver — has long been one of the sport’s loudest voices calling for a Grand Prix in Africa.

The last time Formula One raced on the continent was in 1993 at the Kyalami Circuit in South Africa. Since then, the sport has expanded across the Middle East, Asia and the United States, but Africa remains absent from the calendar.

Hamilton believes that needs to change.

“I’m really looking forward, hoping that the people that are running those different countries all unite and come together and take Africa back," he said.

“That’s what I want to see. Take it back from the French, take it back from the Spanish, from the Portuguese and the British."

Talks, delays and hope

F1 chiefs have explored a return to South Africa in recent years, with potential races discussed at Kyalami and even a street circuit in Cape Town. Rwanda has also entered conversations about hosting a future Grand Prix.

However, logistical hurdles and circuit upgrades required for FIA Grade 1 status have slowed progress.

Hamilton insists the push continues behind the scenes, and if the seven-time champion has his way, the sport will finally return to Africa before he calls time on his career.

For Hamilton, it wouldn’t just be another race. It would be a homecoming.

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