SA’s F1 return hopes will stall until Washington ties are fixed, and politicians step up - Anton Roux

Since the last South African Grand Prix was raced at Kyalami in 1993, the country has made several attempts to bring Formula One back. The circuit has been upgraded to FIA Grade 2 standards, and various promoters, including the Kyalami owners and international partners, have tried to secure a deal with Formula One Management. Most recently, Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie conceded that the 2027 race “will not take place now,” but said government remained committed to landing a future Grand Prix. Anton Roux, a former member of motorsport’s governing body, the FIA Senate, and a trustee of the FIA Foundation, says South Africa’s real obstacles lie elsewhere, in strained ties with Washington and a lack of political commitment at home. Roux told BizNews that South Africa has not done the diplomatic groundwork needed to convince Liberty Media, the American company that owns Formula One. His advice to the sports minister was blunt: start by backing, and showing up at, the international motorsport events South Africa already hosts, to prove the country can deliver an event that other African nations, like Rwanda, are now openly keen to host. But first, the interview dives into a question many motorheads are asking: Why are electric vehicles so ugly? Is Italian design the answer?

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Edited transcript of the interview