Lewis Hamilton says he will not retire until he races in an African grand prix

Lewis Hamilton said he will stay in Formula 1 until he gets to race in an African grand prix, telling organisers he has been "fighting in the background" for the past six or seven years and asking, "why are we not in Africa?"

Lewis Hamilton calls on African countries to reclaim their continent

On the eve of the new Formula One season in Melbourne, Hamilton said he wanted to see African nations unite to regain control of their resources, urging leaders to "take Africa back" and explicitly naming former colonial powers when he said, "Take it back from the French. Take it back from the Spanish. Take it back from the Portuguese and the British. " He described the continent as "the most beautiful part of the world" and said he has roots in places such as Togo and Benin, a connection he said makes an African grand prix particularly meaningful.

Rwanda, South Africa and other potential hosts have fallen through

Hamilton reiterated that organisers have been "really trying" to arrange a race in Africa but noted there is no imminent prospect of one on the calendar. Rwanda was the most recently linked country, but those chances have rescinded, and previous talks about returning to South Africa at Kyalami or in Cape Town collapsed. Kyalami previously hosted races from 1967-85 and 1992-93.

Staying in the sport until the opportunity arrives

Hamilton, F1's first black driver and a seven-time world champion who won his most recent title in 2020, said he does not want to leave the sport without racing on African soil. "I don't want to leave the sport without having a grand prix there, without getting to race there, " he said, adding: "I'm chasing them - when is it going to be?... I'm going to be here for a while until that happens. " His comments came after a difficult first season at Ferrari last year and amid a run of poor performances in 2025 that saw him critique his own form, calling himself "useless" at times and working over the winter to cultivate a "positive mental attitude. "

Hamilton made these remarks before the first race of the season in Australia in Melbourne, the event that follows the pre-season period he described.