Formula 1 is heading back to Africa for the first time since 1993, and the deal was signed in Rwanda. The FIA and Formula 1 confirmed a 10-year agreement on October 13 to race on a new circuit near Kigali, built specifically for the job.

There is a catch, though. The track does not exist yet. Before any Formula 1 African Grand Prix can go on the calendar, Rwanda has to build it to FIA Grade 1 standards, the top tier required for grand prix racing, and that work has not started on a finished layout.

Formula 1 president and CEO Stefano Domenicali called it "a landmark moment for Formula 1" when the agreement was announced, a line that relies on how long this championship has waited to add an African date. FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem described the return in similar terms, calling it "a historic moment for our sport."

Rwandan President Paul Kagame kept his statement shorter: "Today belongs to Africa." The agreement runs 10 years, and the first race is targeted for the early 2030s, though neither the FIA nor Formula 1 has attached a specific year.

The commercial rationale for picking Rwanda draws on the size of the audience the series sees across the continent. Organizers and coverage of the deal point to more than 100 million Formula 1 fans across Africa, and describe that fanbase as relatively young and fast growing.

The circuit will rise in Bugesera, a district roughly 25 miles south of Kigali, sitting next to the new Kigali International Airport.

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