Five Countries That Need F1 Races

South Africa

While currently the African continent does not host any Formula One races, there is some history of the world championship there. Morocco and South Africa have hosted events for the series, and any future races in Africa will likely run through its southernmost country.

The South African Grand Prix ran as part of the Formula One world championship from 1965 to 1985, with the 1996 and 1981 races not counting towards the title. The race would be suspended from the FIA due to apartheid, and was brought back for 1992 and 1993 once it ended. The final race winner at the Kyalami circuit was Alain Prost.

Today, the Kyalami race course is owned by Porsche South Africa, and likely if F1 were to return to the nation, a new track would need to be constructed. And while the construction of a new Formula One track can be cumbersome and time-consuming, the dividends it could pay for this nation would be large.

As the only continent without a Formula One race, the world championship could set itself apart from other international competitions by racing there. Africa has mostly been left behind by the sports world, as outside of the FIFA World Cup in 2010, there have been no major international sporting events of note. F1 could help turn the tide in this regard, reopening Africa to the racing world, and to the sports world as a whole.