Formula 1 News: Cape Town wants to host South African GP (5th Update)

It’s been quite a fortnight for the SA F1 GP bid. Initially, news was upbeat when the Kyalami GP Circuit’s upgrades were approved by the FIA. Described as ‘soft-touch’ enhancements by officials, all looked on track for a successful 2028 SA F1 GP bid.

Then reports emerged that Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie was jetting off to last weekend’s Austrian GP. His goal was to ratify the Kyalami SA F1 GP bid with Formula One Management (FOM) as soon as possible. However, there was made no mention made of a Cape Town Grand Prix South Africa (CTGPSA) bid being prepared in parallel.

Now, CTGPSA officials are calling the SA F1 GP bid process ‘flawed’ and calling into question the Sports Minister’s conduct. Accused of favouring the Kyalami Circuit, CTGPSA CEO Igshaan Amlay has come out swinging, reports TopAuto.

Amlay envisaged a high-profile F1 race on a Herman Tilke-designed track in and around the streets of Cape Town’s DHL Stadium. The race would draw tourists from all over the world and the unrivalled beauty of the Atlantic seaboard would make for stunning TV coverage. However, with the Sports Minister suddenly jetting off to Austria to shore-up the Kyalami GP race in Gauteng, Amlay says he is entirely disillusioned with the SA F1 GP bid process.

Furthermore, Amlay explains that the SA F1 GP Bid Steering Committee (BSC) required a R10 million deposit for all applications to bring an event to the country. When he asked what the SA F1 GP bid money was for, the BSC gave no explanation or timeline other than it would be refunded if unsuccessful.

“Payment of R10 million to support an open SA F1 GP bid should not be the determining factor. We were given fewer than 10 days to submit our entire proposal, including the R10-million deposit. And we take issue with Gayton McKenzie’s remarks that a future F1 race would happen at Kyalami, well before the BSC was even created,” Amlay said.

As a result, the CTGPSA CEO believes the entire SA F1 GP bid process was inherently biased towards the Kyalami Circuit from the start. In response to Amlay’s accusations, the Department of Sports, Arts, and Culture has labelled them as ‘utterly baseless.’

Furthermore, the department says all submissions were judged fairly. “All bids were judged fairly and objectively by the BSC. And the minister was not a part of that process in any way. As such, CTGPSA’s allegations are utterly baseless,” the department said.

Cape Town hired Tilke to design their proposed F1 circuit, and the result is a layout that will provide near-zero passing opportunities.

Contrary to previous proposals, the latest design would not take the circuit through the DHL Stadium itself but run alongside it, using the venue for the paddock, media center and hospitality areas.

“The purpose of running through the stadium was that it can take a capacity of up to 70,000 people and our intention was to make it accessible to people that can never afford to go to a Formula 1 race,” Cape Town GP CEO Igshaan Amlay told Motorsport.com.

“After speaking to the circuit’s designers, there are a few obstacles and it would be better to actually run along the circuit.

“DHL Stadium will be used for the paddocks and the media center. Everything that was set up for the football World Cup will be reactivated, and it’s already existent within the stadium, so we will make full use of it. We will still run through the original Green Point athletics stadium, which has a rich legacy.”

Online Betting Guide (OLBG), a UK-based company, has worked with AI tool Midjourney to imagine what the landscape of Formula 1 could look like in the not-too-distant future, with South Africa tipped as the nation to bring the sport to Africa.

Cape Town’s world-class tourism infrastructure and experience in hosting major events like the FIFA World Cup put them ahead of their nearby competition, with Rwanda also in the running to host a Grand Prix in Africa.

Table Mountain would also serve as a breathtaking backdrop around a potential circuit.

A United States Dallas-based US ‘Boundless Racing’ initiative, backed by the Western Cape Government, is pursuing a Formula 1 Grand Prix in Cape Town, with a state-of-the-art racing circuit set to be developed in the city.

This adds to the other initiatives reported below and comes after the RFEOI was extended by Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie in January to give stakeholders additional time to submit “comprehensive, well-structured proposals in line with the requirements”.

The venue is expected to accommodate more than 125,000 spectators and will be the home of South Africa’s Grand Prix where 75 people are murdered each day.

The track layout shown above is the latest proposed F1 circuit in Cape Town, South Africa.

Similar to the Mexico City F1 circuit, the race organizers plan to run the circuit through the DHL Stadium to increase seating capacity

Cape Town Grand Prix South Africa (CTGPSA) is preparing to submit its official bid to the Bid Steering Committee (BSC) for the return of Formula One (F1) to the country.

The Bid Steering Committee was set up by the Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie last month to help South Africa in its efforts to return the race to South Africa for the first time since 1993.

Unveiling the Committee McKenzie said it will “coordinate the bid process and ensure that all necessary requirements are met”.

CTGPSA’s bid focuses on a proposed street circuit located in Cape Town’s Green Point Sport Tourism Precinct, adjacent to the DHL Stadium, which is intended to be part of the 5.7 km street circuit.

They believe that their concept aligns well with the global appeal of Formula 1 street circuits.

They have also revealed that in 2017, they secured support from the Western Cape Government’s Director of Sports Promotion T.D. Tutu, through an official letter of endorsement to host the Formula One Grand Prix.

In a letter to CTGPSA CEO, Igshaan Amlay, dated August 5, 2024, McKenzie welcomed the group’s interest in hosting Formula One (F1) in Cape Town, adding that they would now proceed to conduct a thorough review.

“Thank you for your letter dated August 2, 2024, outlining the significant efforts and milestones achieved by Cape Town Grand Prix SA in pursuit of hosting a Formula One Grand Prix in Cape Town. I acknowledge your interest and the strategic importance of this initiative.

“Please be advised that I have personally taken over this matter, recognizing its national significance. The department will conduct a thorough review and be in contact with you once further input is required. We appreciate your understanding and patience as we navigate this process.

“Rest assured, we are committed to ensuring that all necessary steps are taken to evaluate and support this initiative appropriately.”

Amlay expressed optimism about their bid, stating that they were prepared to take the next step.

“With local and international support, we are ready to take the next step in making this dream a reality.

“Having seen 2024 culminate on such a positive and hopeful note after a 19-year stakeholder engagement journey, gives us a renewed resolve to take the next steps in this formal bidding process.

“With the continued support from our local and international supporters and F1 enthusiasts, we are ready to bring an F1 street race to our spectacularly located circuit in the Green Point Sport Tourism Precinct in Cape Town, South Africa” Amlay said. –IOL SPORT–