[Image: Race of Morocco / Facebook]
The long-awaited return of Formula 1 to Africa is gaining momentum, with Morocco becoming the latest nation on the continent to enter the fray by preparing a substantial bid to host a future Grand Prix.
The North African country has already put forward an ambitious $1.2 billion motorsport and tourism development plan, and is now competing to secure a spot on the Formula 1 calendar, and potentially marking the sport’s first race on African soil since 1993.
According to a report from RacingNews365, Morocco’s proposed bid centres on a vast project located 20 kilometres south of the port city of Tangier. The plan includes a state-of-the-art FIA Grade 1 circuit designed to accommodate Formula 1, the World Endurance Championship (WEC), and MotoGP.
The development is much more than just a racetrack, rather a fully-fledged motorsport resort complete with a theme park, luxury hotels, a retail complex and a marina, all of which are intended to transform the area into a global destination for motorsport fans and tourists alike.
Although no formal bid has yet been submitted, the existence of such a “comprehensive and financially robust” proposal makes Morocco a serious contender.
During the Monaco Grand Prix weekend, Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali confirmed that the sport is in active discussions with three African countries about hosting a Grand Prix in the future. Although he declined to specify which countries are involved, he acknowledged that Africa is the only inhabited continent without a regular race on the F1 calendar.
Online rumours, however, seem to suggest Rwanda might be the third contender.
Only two African countries have hosted an F1 race, namely Morocco and South Africa. F1 first visited Africa in 1958 with the Moroccan Grand Prix, which has to date been the championship’s only visit to the country. The race even featured Stirling Moss!
Grand prix racing in Morocco actually began in 1925, when it hosted the Casablanca GP that was staged for touring cars and was won by Frenchman Comte de Vaugelas in a Delage.
Morocco hosted a grand prix on and off over the following 31 years for touring or sports cars, where the event had other titles like the Anfa GP.
