The approval comes after the FIA accepted final design proposals that will elevate the circuit from Grade 2 to Grade 1, the standard required to host Formula One.
The announcement was made on Wednesday by Toby Venter, owner of the Kyalami circuit, who hailed the development as a "defining moment for South African motorsport".
'Today, we turn the page to a bold new chapter for Kyalami. We are ready for the return of Formula 1 to African soil,' Venter said during a press conference.
'When we acquired Kyalami in 2014, we made a commitment to restore it as a world-class venue and a beacon for motorsport across the continent. The FIA's acceptance of our Grade 1 design is a major step forward in that journey.'
The circuit has been given a three-year window to complete the necessary upgrades, though work will only proceed if Kyalami is officially selected to host a Formula One race.
Clive Bowen, founder and director of UK-based Apex Circuit Design â€" the firm overseeing the upgrades â€" described the changes as a 'light-touch upgrade in engineering terms,' saying they would bring the already excellent circuit in line with modern F1 requirements.
Kyalami, located just north of Johannesburg, hosted 21 South African Grands Prix before falling off the calendar in 1993. With Africa currently the only continent absent from Formula One's 24-race global calendar, there has been growing pressure to reintroduce a race on the continent.
Kyalami is competing with two other proposed circuits, including one planned for construction in Rwanda and another that South Africa intends to build in Cape Town.
Wycliffe Nyamasege
Source : https://en.igihe.com/sports/article/fia-approves-south-african-track-upgrade-to-host-formula-one
