• Super Admin
• 06 Mar, 2026

Seven-time Formula 1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton has implored Africans to take back their continent in a moving speech at the Australian Grand Prix on Thursday, 5 March 2026. Hamilton, who has African roots and has visited Kenya, Rwanda, and Benin during his summer breaks, is also the first black F1 driver. Now in his 20th successive season and his second with Ferrari, he spoke of his hope to see a Grand Prix held in Africa. South Africa, Rwanda, and Morocco have all shown keen interest in hosting the event. When asked which African city he would like to see host the Grand Prix, he said: "I've had the privilege of visiting 10 countries in Africa," he explained. "There's still so much more for me to see. For the past six or seven years, I've been working behind the scenes to get a Grand Prix, sitting with stakeholders and asking the question, 'Why are we not in Africa? There's one on every other continent, why not Africa?'" He added that he knew efforts were being made and that several countries had been considered. Among the places he enjoyed most was Kenya, although he doubted a Grand Prix would happen there. He described Rwanda as spectacular and said both countries were places where he could imagine living in. Hamilton also praised South Africa as a stunning location and noted that it, too, would be a strong candidate for a future Grand Prix. "I don't want to leave the sport without having a Grand Prix in Africa or without the chance to race there," he added. "I keep asking when it will happen, and they are setting certain dates, but I might be running out of time. Because of that, I will stay in the sport until it happens. It would be amazing, especially since I am half African." Hamilton highlighted his personal connections to Africa, saying: "I've got roots from several places like Togo and Benin. I visited Benin last year, along with Senegal and Nigeria. I'm really proud of that part of the world." He concluded with an impassioned statement, underscoring his belief that Africa can become the "most powerful place in the world": "I don't like that the rest of the world owns so much of it and takes so much from it, while no one speaks about it. Africa has all the resources to be the greatest and most powerful place in the world, which is probably why it is being controlled the way it is." Hamilton will be looking to bounce back this season after a difficult first year with Scuderia Ferrari, during which he failed to finish on the podium. The season opener is scheduled to take place in Melbourne on Sunday, 8 March 2026, at 4 a.m. GMT. Source: https://briefly.co.za/sports/236952-lewis-hamilton-urges-africans-continent-powerful-speech/