The race to bring Formula 1 to South Africa has hit a stumbling block amid allegations of bias towards Kyalami as the preferred host venue.
Speaking to Cape Argus, Igshaan Amlay, CEO of Cape Town Grand Prix South Africa (CTGPSA), raised concerns about the bidding process, accusing Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie of favouring Kyalami’s Johannesburg-based bid over Cape Town’s.
“Cape Town Grand Prix sees this as a flawed process,” Amlay said, questioning the R10 million (€479 165) refundable deposit required to submit a bid.
The deposit, required by the local F1 Bid Steering Committee (BSC), has been a particular point of contention. According to Amlay, when CTGPSA queried the terms, the only response received was that the deposit is refundable but no clear timeline for repayment was provided.
“Payment of a deposit of R10 million to support an open bid submission should not be the determining factor as to whether a bid is considered or not, particularly when it does not make any changes to the economics of a bid,” Amlay argued.
Allegations ‘baseless’
The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture has dismissed Amlay’s claims as unfounded. Spokesperson Stacey-Lee Khojane told automotive media publications that the process is open and transparent.
“The bid process was open to anyone who wished to submit a bid,” Khojane said. “All of the bids were judged fairly and objectively by the BSC. The minister was not part of that process.”
Khojane described CTGPSA’s allegations as “utterly and totally baseless”.
SA Grand Prix not guaranteed
While the BSC is expected to announce its preferred candidate soon, this does not mean that South Africa will host a Formula 1 Grand Prix in the near future or at all.
According to Motorsport.com, Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has expressed concerns about South Africa’s overall readiness to stage the event.
“We need guarantees on three fronts,” Domenicali said. “Investment that benefits the community beyond F1’s presence, infrastructure (not just a circuit but hotels, roads and airports) and an economic base that can support the event long-term.”
Domenicali also confirmed that any new race will need to replace an existing event as the Formula 1 calendar is capped at 24 races.
That adds extra competition for South Africa with other countries vying for a coveted slot on the global circuit.
Thailand, in particular, is believed to be leading the race for a new event, following its government’s approval of a US$1,2 billion (R21,3 billion/€1 billion) bid to host a street race in Bangkok from 2028, reports Top Auto.
