South Africa’s Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture reveals that talks are to be held with F1 in the coming weeks in the hopes the sport returning to the country.
Only in May, F1 CEO, Stefano Domenicali appeared to dash hopes when he said that while there is intertest in hosting a race in South Africa there was no promise of the long-term financial stability required in order to draw up the necessary contract.
“We cannot go to a new place without staying for a long time,” said the Italian, days after announcing that the sport will continue in Miami until 2041. “We are progressing our discussions with I would say three places in Africa,” he added “Realistically speaking, I don’t think we’re going to have an outcome in the very short term.”
However, speaking in parliament, South Africa’s Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, appeared to hold out a lot more hope.
“Many laughed when I uttered the words ‘Formula 1 must come back to South Africa’,” he said. “One man in particular, who didn’t laugh was Toby Venter, the owner of the Kyalami racetrack. When I told him that government doesn’t have the money to host Formula 1 because of other more urgent priorities and we would not be able to help him pay for the track to reach F1 standards, he looked me in the eye and said he would see it as his patriotic duty to do just that.
“We have had multiple meetings with the management of F1,” he continued, “with a crucial one happening in the next two weeks.
Confirming a budget of R6.3bn (£262m) to be allocated to projects including sport and culture, he said: “To those who say the country can’t afford to host F1, I’m saying the country can’t afford not to!
“We hosted the best FIFA World Cup,” he added. “We put our country on the map for big events and should not turn back now.”
Indeed, insisting that the government, by which he means taxpayers, will not be expected to pay, McKenzie names a host of corporate partners he claims are willing to help with finance, including MTN, MultiChoice and Heineken.
“They will be present with us in the meeting with Formula 1 at the end of the month,” he said. “They see the value in it, and it can’t be called a world championship if it misses an entire continent, sub-Saharan Africa in particular.”
