The last time this topic reared its head was when we were informed that Kyalami was given the green light by the FIA to upgrade the circuit to Grade 1 status in the hopes of having the pinnacle of motor racing return to South Africa.
Our Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture of South Africa, Gayton McKenzie, has been a strong driving force behind the scenes, and today in parliament, he confirmed that although they have had “multiple meetings with the management of F1”, there is a “crucial one happening in the next two weeks.”
“To those who say the country can’t afford to host the F1, I’m saying the country can’t afford not to host the F1”, he added.
McKenzie did mention that, unlike other big events like the FIFA World Cup, “government will not be expected to pay”. He made specific mentions of the likes of MTN, Multichoice and Heineken as companies that have “raised their hands” and will be present in the aforementioned meeting taking place towards the end of the month.
He concluded by saying, “Those who are saying Formula 1 is not important should consider the countries who are holding on to [their] F1 spots on the calendar. They see the value in it, and it can’t be called the World Championship if it misses an entire continent.”
As mentioned in the middle of last month, the proposed upgrades for FIA Grade 1 status will not alter the current layout but will focus on improvements to run-off zones, barrier technology, debris fencing, kerbing, and drainage systems.
Kyalami did confirm that the execution of certain elements will depend on South Africa’s successful inclusion on the Formula 1 calendar and Kyalami being chosen as the host venue.
Watch the clip below, which starts at the 6-minute mark.