Hamilton jokes African Grand Prix will force him to race into his mid-40s

Lewis Hamilton has joked that Formula 1’s newly announced African Grand Prix could push his career well into his mid-40s, saying the Rwanda race deal has left him feeling “forced to stay a lot longer” in the sport.

Speaking at a press conference ahead of the United States Grand Prix, the Ferrari driver — sat alongside Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli — was asked about the young Italian’s first title fight before turning the conversation to his own future on the grid.

“I’m looking forward to racing with him longer and we’ll see about, I mean, I’m now forced to have to stay a lot longer because we have a race in Africa and that’s been my dream, to be able to race in Africa,” Hamilton said.

Antonelli, who had previously urged Hamilton to compete in the inaugural African race, replied simply: “So you’ve got to come.”

Hamilton added: “I have to keep fighting to try and stay fit if I can, if I can still punch out good results over the next year, we’ll keep it going.”

The Rwanda race is expected to take place in the early 2030s under a ten-year deal, which would put the 40-year-old seven-time world champion in his mid-40s by the time it arrives on the calendar.

Hamilton revealed he has spent years lobbying behind the scenes for a race on the African continent, holding repeated meetings with F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali and engaging directly with heads of state across the region.

“I’ve been advocating for a race in Africa for many, many, many years, and countless meetings with the stakeholders, so many meetings with Stefano at his office in London, but also race weekends, countless calls — many meetings with different presidents from different countries, lots of phone calls with different presidents from different countries within Africa,” he said.

Hamilton framed the race as something bigger than a single venue or nation. “It’s more than just about one country. It’s about the continent in itself, and there’s so many beautiful countries within it, and the people are so lovely. The culture is so rich, and I think it’s important that we get to show that to the world, and we get to do that with our sport.”

The seven-time champion, who joined Ferrari ahead of the 2025 season, has long spoken about his connection to the African continent and the importance of broadening Formula 1’s global footprint beyond its traditional European heartland.