South Africans bidding to host the world's most prestigious race, a Formula One Grand Prix, have until March 16 to submit their final applications, according to the Department of Sport, as announced by the F1 Bid Steering Committee (BSC) on Wednesday.
Interested parties have a final week to finalise their bids, with Gauteng and Cape Town suspected to be the frontrunners in the bidding war. Bakang Lethoko, chairperson of the SA bidding committee, said they are considering all applications fairly, despite allegations from Cape interest arguing otherwise.
“As the BSC, we are enthused by the interest shown in the bidding process thus far and anticipate a positive and charged response once the expression of interest bids are submitted,” said Lethoko.
"Our commitment, as a committee, is to consider all qualifying submissions in a fair and transparent manner. We are targeting an outcome for this first phase by the end of April 2025.
“Interested parties currently preparing bids are reminded that all submissions must be sent (by) 11:59pm on March 18, 2025. No late submissions will be considered."
The committee is made up of professionals from legal, corporate, finance, media, motorsport, and public administration sectors. It is hoped the BSC can secure FIA approval for South Africa Grand Prix in 2027.
Minister of Sport Gayton McKenzie has backed the call for the race to return to South Africa, saying: “Hosting an F1 Grand Prix would boost our economy, tourism, and development while showcasing South Africa as a premier global sporting destination. This extension ensures bidders have the time to prepare exceptional proposals."
So far, there are only two main contenders vying to host an SA GP for the first time since 1993 —Gauteng and the Western Cape. Cape Town Grand Prix SA (CTGPSA) are one of the interested parties seeking to secure the race in the Mother City.
CTGPSA is proposing a 5.7km street race around the Cape Town Stadium precinct in Green Point, a race that would rival the likes of Monaco, Baku and Singapore. CTGPSA has been in talks to host the F1 race for over a decade.
However, CEO Igshaan Amlay has claimed that there has been little “transparency” in the bidding process and that Gauteng’s Kyalami bid has been favoured.
Just completed a very important meeting with Stefano Domenicali, Formula One Group CEO. We are one step closer to bringing it to South Africa. I wanna thank Minister of Youth & Sport of Azerbaijan, HE Farid Gayibov for arranging this meeting and hosting me. GNU at work Ntate 🇿🇦 pic.twitter.com/7l7WGJqvU6
“Kyalami has been clearly favoured," Amlay said, in an IOL report, "and given a significant head start over other parties interested in participating in the bidding process, especially with the minister having announced the bid committee during a media briefing held at Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit
"(It has) strategically positioned Kyalami as the preferred circuit, backed by the minister’s consistent focus on Kyalami during all media engagements to date."
This week, Boundless Motorsports announced they would help Cape Town solidify their bid. Boundless Motorsports, an American-owned company, will be partnering with the Western Cape provincial government to compete against Kyalami's bid.
At the end of last year, it was reported that Kyalami’s owners had already begun upgrades to host the race, despite no confirmation from authorities regarding hosting rights. It is estimated that the track will require safety upgrades worth R177 million to align with FIA regulations, and receive the necessary Grade 1 certificate.
The upgrades put Kyalami in a peculiar position: They are favoured to win the bid due to the track and its historic significance, but are also at risks of not being able to recoup their recent financial investment. Nevertheless, the upgrades will also allow Kyalami to host other major events, such as MotoGP.
Apex, a British motorsport engineering consultancy responsible for designing and delivering the world’s best racetracks, inspected Kyalami and was pleased with its facilities. They were also brought in to help Kyalami prepare its bid to host the GP.
