The Formula One (F1) management has abandoned the idea of returning to the calendar at South Africa's Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit for political reasons, the Racing News 365 portal reported on Tuesday, citing sources.
A return to the Kyalami circuit near the city of Johannesburg has been highly anticipated among the F1 community in recent years, as Formula 1 representatives have been in talks on holding a grand prix in the country since 2022. Rumors suggested the South African Grand Prix would have replaced the Belgian Grand Prix, whose contract expires after the current season.
The circuit near Johannesburg was due to return to the F1 calendar after a 30-year absence, but as the decision has now been postponed, the chances of the Belgian Grand Prix, which is held at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, remaining on the championship calendar in 2024 are increasing.
The last South African Grand Prix was held in 1993 at the 4.529 km Kyalami circuit in Midrand, Gauteng Province.
In February 2022, Formula 1 strongly condemned Russia's military operation in Ukraine, canceled the Russian Grand Prix held at the circuit in Sochi, and terminated contracts for future races.
The International Automobile Federation (FIA), the governing body for Formula 1, prohibited all Russian and Belarusian teams from participating in its competitions, while Russian and Belarusian drivers were allowed to enter races only under a neutral status and after signing a document condemning the military operation.