Formula 1: DRC denounces the Grand Prix planned in Rwanda and demands guarantees on the origin of funds

The Democratic Republic of Congo asked Formula 1 on October 15, 2026, to abandon the Grand Prix announced in Rwanda, arguing that the race would provide an international showcase for Kigali while the war continues in the east of the country. Foreign Minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner stated that the event would serve to "polish the image" of an authoritarian leader, report Al Jazeera and Africanews.

The project was presented on October 13, 2026, by Rwandan President Paul Kagame, alongside Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali and FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem. The race would be held on a circuit yet to be built in Bugesera, near Kigali, in the early 2030s. Formula 1 has not raced on African soil since 1993: the continent's return to the calendar is therefore an event expected well beyond Rwanda.

Kinshasa demands the traceability of funds

The Congolese minister claims to have alerted Stefano Domenicali and sports authorities as early as February 2025 about what she deems morally indefensible. Kinshasa says it welcomes the return of the sport to Africa, but asks Formula 1 to demand "credible and independent guarantees" that the funding for the race does not come from conflict-linked minerals or the exploitation of Congolese resources. The DRC openly supports the competing bid from South Africa.

Formula 1 responded that it claims a positive economic, social, and cultural impact in host countries, that it ensures its standards and integrity are respected by promoters and partners, and that it expects beneficial effects from this race, according to Africanews.

A standoff that goes beyond sport

The dispute is part of a long-standing regional crisis. The DRC, the United States, and UN experts accuse Rwanda of supporting M23 rebels in the eastern Congo. Kigali rejects these accusations and presents its measures as a security response to armed groups operating on both sides of the border. In March 2026, Washington sanctioned the Rwandan army and four senior officers for their support of the M23; Rwanda denounced unilateral sanctions which, it says, distort the reality of the conflict.

Kinshasa had previously contested Rwanda's visibility contracts with major European football clubs. The debate raised today concerns the entire continent: when global sport finally returns to Africa after a thirty-three-year absence, who benefits, and under what conditions? No official reaction from Kigali to the Congolese request had been made public as of October 16, 2026.