Summarize

Formula 1 will return to South Africa with a Grand Prix on a brand new street circuit around the Western Cape town of Franschhoek. The race was announced after a final meeting with with F1 authorities at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix over the weekend.

“We are delighted to confirm that South Africa will return to the Formula 1 calendar with a grand prix in Franschhoek from 2021,” Franschhoek Grand Prix Company chairman Mr. John Rubert confirmed. “We have worked long and hard with F1 bosses to complete the deal and the deal was inked in the early hours of this morning."

The new 5.375km Franschhoek Grand Prix Circuit will be a street track built borrowing infrastructure from the former A1 Grand Prix Circuit in Durban and will utilise a newly constructed complex to the north of the village comprising a start straight and pit complex running east to west, before a tight right-hand corner leading through a quick right-left section into the Huguenot street Main Road.

From there, the track turns down Berg street into a twisty section taking in a combination of van Wyk, Reservoir and Cabriere street before it turns back into Kruger St and back up Huguenot for a high speed run leading to a tight left hander into Reservoir, right into Dirkie Uys and left into Akademie, before a right hander into the foot of the Franschhoek Pass, up round a long right hander before a sharp right back into the new section including a dog-eg back to the start straight.

“We expect the new-generation Formula 1 cars to hit 300km/h up Huguenot Street and for the tight sections of the circuit to test drivers to the limit through the village,” FOM spokesman Primo di Aprile confirmed. “Formula 1 belongs in South Africa and Franschhoek will deliver a brilliant successor to East London and Kyalami.”

“The Franschhoek Grand Prix culminates a long series of discussions to bring Formula 1 to the Boland,” Stellenbosch Deputy Johannes Eerste added. “We have worked closely with provincial and national government to make this dream come true.” 

“Our biggest challenge has been funding,” WP Minister of Development ‘G’tiep April. pointed out. “But national government has come to the party and redirected portion of an Eskom and SAA slush fund to the project.”

Construction on the new Franschhoek circuit's new sections and conversion of the town’s streets to FIA level will commence in June this year, while infrastructure will be prepared from April 2020 before build up to the race week around the town's popular Bastille Weekend in July 2021, will commence in March that year.