Latest news with #SouthAfricanGrandPrix
The Citizen
2 days ago
- Automotive
- The Citizen
Hiding over as Toyota GR Cup prepares for East London challenge
South Africa's fastest and most daunting race track will be the biggest challenge of the year not only for The Citizen's rookie, but for all taking part. After a maiden on-track podium in the second race of the last round at Zwartkops, the challenge of East London will be tougher for The Citizen's GR rookie. Image: Toyota Gazoo Racing The East London Grand Prix Circuit, which some of the older generation still mention by its original name, the Prince George Circuit, has an inevitable reputation of being the fastest and scariest track in South Africa. It is time A venue that has hosted motorsport since before WW II, the current 3.9 km track served as the first home of the South African Grand Prix with three F1-sanctioned races taking place between 1962 and 1965, and four non-official events, the last being in 1966. Thoroughly old-school in its layout, the equally famous 'circuit next to the ocean' hosts the fifth round of the National Extreme Festival this weekend, and by extension, round five of the Toyota GR Cup. ALSO READ: From zero to almost podium hero in Toyota GR Cup stunner The final race weekend before an enforced one-month break until the penultimate round at Killarney in September, the track has been the one most feared by all of the GR Cup media since the start of the year. Besides its wide-open spaces, the fear-inducing Potter's Pass and Rifle Range Bends are, by in large responsible, for any mentioniong of the circuit's name warranting blocked ears and not being commented on. The past doesn't lie At well over 200 km/h, the slightest mistake doesn't go unpunished as proven last year by colleague Bernie Hellberg's now infamous roll that wrote-off the GR Corolla used then. Going back further, both rounds of the erstwhile Super Touring Car series 30 years ago resulted in speculator accidents. The first being Anthony Taylor's Toyota Camry going off at Rifle at 240 km/h, and then spinning across the track before flying across the infield and coming to a halt before the braking point at the Cocabana hairpin. In the second meeting later that year, the BMW of the late Sabine Schmitz, then Reck, triggered a multicar accident after missing her brake markers heading into the hairpin. Not immune, the Group N race the following year saw Kosie Swanepoel's BMW lose its brakes and fly across the circuit, over the hairpin and then into the bushes over 100 m from the track. A year later, the title challenge of Nissan and one Giniel de Villiers nearly came unstuck when the eventual champion's Primera pitched sideways at Rifle and slew across the track onto the outside before control was regained. With well known incidents and near misses like these being only a few that comes to mind, the reasons for the neither the GR regulars nor the media wanting to think about East London speaks volumes of the challenge it presents. As shown by Bernie's accident last year, the track penalises any faux par harder than at Kyalami, with devastating consequences. A circuit that demands respect From the main straight, the circuit flicks right into the infamous Potter's Pass where lifting simply isn't option, never mind braking. A corner that demands absolute respect, trust in the driver next to you and the car underneath, the running out wide in setting up for the next corner, Rifle, requires extreme care as the outer curb eventually makes way for gravel and then grass. From here, with the speed still building, the kink over a slight hump that is Rifle gives way to the mentioned Cocabana hairpin. A corner that requires the same respect as Potter's and Rifle, the speed drops dramatically from over 200 km/h to less than 60 km/h, placing a massive premium on the brakes that will take severe punishment over both races totalling eight laps each. From here, the circuit changes direction down the Beach Straight and into the esses, a section just as testing that saw Mike Briggs' Opel Vectra and Steve Wyndham's Ford Mondeo exchange blows in more ways than one during that second touring car meeting in 1995. Tight and compact, the right-left sequence will place a further strain on the already suffering brakes, as well as the driver's necks that are jarred from side-to-side. The third section, known as Cox Corner's, turns left at the back-end of the pits before going into the equally tricky back-end sweep. Part of the circuit that puts additional strain on the driver, it requires the same 'set-up' approach as Potter's by drifting to the outside curb which, once again, doesn't last forever and gives away to the much less tractable green stuff. A complex of corners vital to get right as building the speed and tucking into the slipstream of the car ahead all but sets you up for the final turn that is Beacon Bend. Although easy in appearance, it too can bite as getting out too slowly will result in a drag race down the main straight and into Potters. All new, once again With the same field of GR86s, GR Corollas and GR Yaris' totalling 25 cars expected, the term 'tow' will prove most important throughout qualifying and the race. Besides the higher speed and narrower gap to the car in front, it allows those at the rear to brake fractionally later and then, overtake for position at the prime corners of Cocobana and Beacon. The risk factor, though, is being careful with your brakes as, apart from being the fastest circuit in South Africa, it eats brakes similar to how the abrasive surface of Aldo Scribante destroys tyres, Adding further jeopardy is the biggest mental challenge; us. With the exception of current GR Corolla championship leader and former Group N driver, Mario de Sousa, the majority of the current drivers have never been around East London. The same applies to the media. In fact, while I had been around the track before nearly two decades ago, it was at anything but race speed in a Mercedes-Benz GLC 250d as, out of race season, the venue is a public road housing a number of businesses within its confines. High hopes Having scored my first on-track podium last time out at Zwartkops, but missing out on an overall third place finish after a poor race one, the excitement for East London is high in building further on the outcome of race two last month. However, while the circuit is a proper driver's pleaser by encompassing all the variables; speed, nerves, excitement, fear, precision, being smooth and calculated, it won't be easy to master and with greasy weather another potential factor, it promises to be a tough and demanding conclusion to the first half of the year. ALSO READ: Return to home ground counts for little in Toyota GR Cup thriller
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
South Africa's Kyalami circuit says the FIA has approved upgrades which would let it host Formula 1
FILE - Two-time world champion driver Jim Clark of Scotland drives his Lotus 49 during the South African Grand Prix at Kyalami circuit, Jan. 1, 1968. (AP Photo, File) MIDRAND, South Africa (AP) — Formula 1 could be a step closer to holding a race in Africa again after the owner of the Kyalami circuit in South Africa said Wednesday that the sport's governing body had approved upgrades to the track. A statement from the circuit said that the FIA had 'accepted final design proposals' for work which would upgrade Kyalami from the FIA's Grade 2 to the Grade 1 status required for F1. Advertisement It added that Kyalami has been given three years to complete the upgrades and that 'selected works' will be carried out only once Kyalami has been selected to host F1. 'Today, we turn the page to a bold new chapter for Kyalami. We are ready for the return of Formula 1 to African soil," circuit owner Toby Venter said. Kyalami hosted the most recent F1 race in Africa in 1993 but other countries are also interested in bringing the series back to the continent. Rwanda is working on its own project and Morocco reportedly has plans too. ___ AP auto racing:
The Independent
17-04-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
F1 chief gives update on African GP – with South Africa and Rwanda bidding to host race
F1 chief Stefano Domenicali has revealed there are 'still things missing' from current offers on the table as the sport targets a return to Africa in the near future. F1 has not raced in the African continent since 1993, when the Kyalami circuit on the outskirts of Johannesburg hosted the 33rd and final iteration of the South African Grand Prix. Kyalami is one of two potential options for a return to South Africa, with a street circuit in Cape Town the other realistic offer. Rwanda, which hosted December's FIA prize-giving gala, are also bidding to host a race. Domenicali has long made it known his ambition to return F1 to Africa – the only habitable continent that the sport does not race in – and provided an update, admitting 'we're not there yet.' 'That's not the right word," Domenicali told Autosport, when asked if F1's plans to return to Africa were 'on hold.' "Before taking that step, we need guarantees on three fronts: investment that benefits the community beyond F1's presence, infrastructure, not just a circuit, but hotels, roads, airports), and an economic base that can support the event long-term. "We're not on standby – we're working to assess what's still missing before we can say, 'Okay, let's go.' But we're not there yet.' South Africa's minister for sports, arts and culture, Gayton McKenzie, has previously insisted a race is 'going to happen' – and could take place as soon as 2027. 'Let me tell you, when I announced that my term would be a failure if we don't bring F1, then everybody laughed because South Africans underestimate themselves,' he told Super Sport. 'I said, 'I'm going to start the work'. My team, we put in the work, made the calls, we met with F1 twice. 'Where we are at the moment, and it's the first time people hear this, we are going to announce a committee next week. The committee will then choose which promoter will promote F1, it's going to happen.' The axing of the Dutch Grand Prix after 2026 means there is a spot open on the schedule for 2027 and beyond. The doubtful long-term futures of Imola and Barcelona could also open up another spot on the schedule, with South Korea, Thailand and Argentina also interested in joining the schedule. F1 has not added a new race to the calendar since Las Vegas in 2023, but Madrid is set to join the calendar next year as the new home of the Spanish Grand Prix. The Madrid race's organisers have this week awarded a tender for the construction of the city's street circuit, which is planned around the IFEMA exhibition centre in the Spanish capital.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Latest Cape Town F1 proposal aims to build on World Cup legacy
Motorsport photo The South African government is nearing a decision on which bid to support as it aims to bring Formula 1 back to the country. Organisers behind Cape Town's bid have detailed the latest changes to their street race proposal. Advertisement Earlier bids to revive the South African Grand Prix at Kyalami have failed, but the country's government has promised a new push to bring the series back to the African powerhouse, opening up a bid process earlier this year. A return to a refurbished Kyalami, which last hosted F1 in 1993, and a proposed street race around Cape Town's waterfront appear to be the two main contenders to receive public backing, with a deadline for the bid committee's decision set for the end of April. Cape Town's bid is hoping the central, urban location of its Tilke-designed 5.7km circuit, snaking around the Green Point harbour and utilising the facilities around the DHL Stadium built for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, will help it get across the line. "The latest design has all the bells and whistles," Cape Town GP CEO Igshaan Amlay told "It's partly on the waterfront and it also uses the facilities that have been used for the football World Cup. "We meet all the requirements, with the airport 15 to 20 minutes away from the circuit; we've got a top hospital on site and plenty of hotels within walking distance. What also plays a big role is the natural backdrops of Robben Island, the waterfront and Table Mountain. Cape Town has a lot to offer as our top holiday destination. "We're up against Kyalami, which has a rich Formula 1 history, so it's a street race versus a purpose-built circuit. We'll be waiting to see what the decision will be. Here we could easily accommodate 250,000 people, so it makes it more accessible to more people." Cape Town GP layout Cape Town GP layout Tilke GmbH Tilke GmbH Advertisement 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 centre 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," Amlay explained. "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 centre. 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." Even if the government backs either Cape Town or Kyalami, the prospects of an actual F1 return to South Africa are still murky as it would take a compelling bid to convince F1 that it ticks all the right boxes, with the country facing competition from the likes of Thailand, Rwanda and South Korea for a place on the calendar from 2028 and beyond. There are also question marks over how much funding the event will be able to raise through private and public means, with potential corporate sponsors awaiting the government's bid decision. Advertisement "I think Formula 1 has always been looking at getting a race on the African continent, and Lewis Hamilton has also spoken out in favour of it. If you really want to be a world championship, you need a race on the African continent, whether it is in Cape Town, Kyalami or in another African country," Amlay said. "It should have a positive impact on our economy and tourism sector, not only for the city but for the country as a whole." Read Also: Alonso likens Suzuka to uneventful Monaco, amid overtaking drought Why dirty air is such a problem in F1 2025 Amlay has been working on his project of bringing F1 to Cape Town for over two decades to no avail, having previously held talks with then-F1-supremo Bernie Ecclestone, but he feels the momentum is now there to finally realise his dream as F1's popularity has scaled new heights. Advertisement "We've never shied away from any criticism. Whenever people criticised us, we looked at it seriously and made a few changes," he added. "When we pitched the idea in 2016, we had interest from various sponsors and investors. The big problem we had was we didn't get the government's backing. But now there is a big push, and we have a huge following from the younger generation, who have been following Formula 1 and have been supportive of it. "We've come a long way since first envisaging the concept back in 1999, but we've always believed in it. If you believe in something and you persevere, then it will happen."
