Kyalami’s Grade 1 Approval: Now the ball is in Government’s court

Key topicsKyalami earns FIA Grade 1 approval for F1 readinessGovernment funding now the main obstacle to hostingPolitical delays, not track issues, stall SA Grand Prix.Sign up for your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider to keep you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox at 5:30am weekdays. Register here.Support South Africa’s bastion of independent journalism, offering balanced insights on investments, business, and the political economy, by joining BizNews Premium. Register here.If you prefer WhatsApp for updates, sign up to the BizNews channel here..By Miles Downard.South Africa’s long and winding road to a Formula One Grand Prix just got a little straighter — or rather, a little smoother in terms of circuit certification. The Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit today confirmed it has received official FIA approval for its proposed Grade 1 upgrades — the technical prerequisite for hosting Formula One. No more design speculation, no more whispered promises. The FIA has inked its approval. The track can be made ready. Now, only one thing stands in the way: government.Yes, the dream of Formula One in Africa (a concept F1 boss Stefano Domenicali insists he wants on the calendar) has once again surged back into the headlines, this time on the back of actual paperwork — not just hot air. At a media briefing today, circuit owner Toby Venter and Apex Circuit Design’s Clive Bowen confirmed that Kyalami’s Grade 1 plans have been greenlit by the FIA. No layout changes are required, just some safety and compliance tweaks — think wider run-off zones, more robust barriers, updated kerbs and the sort of drainage that would make a civil engineer weep with joy..But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. This doesn’t mean Formula One is coming to Kyalami. What it does mean is that Kyalami has made the first practical move in years to put us in the conversation — and more importantly, to sideline the fluff.Because let’s be honest: the real barrier to an F1 race in South Africa has never been the circuit. It’s always been the politics, the posturing and the public sector purse. Last minute construction of a bid committee, vague government promises, and shifting personalities (yes, Gayton) have swirled about over the last few years. Meanwhile, Kyalami is getting on with the necessary.What Venter has effectively done here is call the government’s bluff. With Grade 1 plans approved, the circuit has removed the single biggest technical blocker on the continent. If Formula One doesn’t land in South Africa now, it won’t be because the track isn’t ready — it’ll be because the cheque wasn’t signed.And let’s be frank: F1 doesn’t race where it should, it races where the money is. Kyalami’s move turns the spotlight firmly on the South African government and its willingness (or lack thereof) to make the financial commitment Formula One Management requires. With new political leadership and budgetary unpredictability, pinning our Grand Prix hopes on those who sit in Pretoria is... well, brave..This upgrade approval may also scupper any would-be rival venues still trying to woo F1 with alternative proposals. If Kyalami goes Grade 1, what leg do they have to stand on? The historical brand, the facilities, and now the certification are all in Midrand.So yes, it’s a milestone — a clever, calculated one — and the stakes have officially been raised. Kyalami has made its move. The technical green light is on.Your move, Minister.

Kyalami’s Grade 1 Approval: Now the ball is in Government’s court

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