FIRST look at proposed 2028 Cape Town F1 Grand Prix track

If Formula One and the FIA were to go ahead with a 2028 Cape Town F1 Grand Prix, this is more or less what the track will look like.

Racing around the Cape Town Stadium built for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the track will race around the scenic Sea Point area with Table Mountain in the backdrop.

A long-awaited and much-talked-about return of Formula One to South Africa now sits in the hands of local bid committee.

Moreover, the Gauteng Government is pushing hard for a historic return to Kyalami, while the Western Cape thinks a Cape Town F1 Grand Prix will be more spectacular due to its scenic beauty.

The Western Cape Government-backed bid may well be the frontrunner from South Africa, owing to Liberty Media’s increased emphasis on ‘show business’.

Over the years, traditional, purpose-built racetracks have been overlooked in favour of novel new street circuits that up the spectacle for television viewers.

The Miami and Las Vegas Grands Prix come to mind. In that regard, owing to its natural beauty, the Cape Town F1 Grand Prix may become an instant classic on the calendar.

When the all-electric Formula E series visited Cape Town its one and only time, the race was voted the best of the year by drivers and fans alike.

2028 CAPE TOWN F1 GRAND PRIX

South Africa’s last F1 race took place 32-years’ ago, back in 1993, at Kyalami.

Seven-time world champ Lewis Hamilton is one of the most vocal supporters of a return to Africa, saying it’s the only way to call F1 a ‘true World Championship.’  

However, Cape Town F1 Grand Prix CEO, Igshaan Amlay, believes the central, urban location of the proposed 2028 track will have the edge.

A Cape Town F1 Grand Prix will fully utilise the facilities in and around the 65 000-capacity Cape Town Stadium.

Previous proposals saw the track run through the stadium, much like Mexico City.

However, the latest plans have it running outside.

With the venue itself used as the paddock, media and hospitality centre.

Amlay says he’s dreamed of hosting a Cape Town F1 Grand Prix for over two decades.

HOSTED AT CAPE TOWN STADIUM

“The latest track design has all the bells and whistles. It’s partly on the waterfront and uses the facilities in place from the 2010 World Cup.

“We meet all the requirements, with the airport just 20-minutes away from the circuit.

“Moreover, the natural backdrops of Robben Island, waterfront and Table Mountain will play a big role.

“We could easily accommodate 250 000 people on the Atlantic Seaboard, so it makes the most commercial sense,” says Amlay.

BID SUBMISSION DRAWING NEARER

However, it’s understood that a decision from the South African bid committee will be made by the end of April.

From there, work still needs to be done to convince Formula One and the FIA bosses that South Africa is worthy of a spot on the 2028 calendar.

F1 supremo Stefano Domenicali recently visited Thailand over a proposed race.

Likewise, there are encouraging bids being lobbied from Rwanda and a host of other countries.

DO YOU THINK CAPE TOWN CAN BEAT OUT KYALAMI?

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