Seven-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton has identified Kenya as one of his top dream destinations to live in Africa.
With the 2026 Formula One season opener in Melbourne approaching (March 6–8), the British driver has expressed his desire to compete in a Grand Prix on the African continent before retiring from the sport. This will be his second season with Scuderia Ferrari.
Hamilton said having travelled widely across Africa, he believes the continent deserves a place on the Formula One calendar.
“I’ve had the privilege. I’ve been to 10 countries now in Africa, and there’s still so much more for me to see,” he said.
Formula One’s first Black driver
“For the past six, maybe seven years, I’ve been fighting in the background to get a Grand Prix. Sitting with stakeholders and asking them, ‘Why are we not in Africa? We’re on every other continent. Why not Africa?’”
Hamilton, Formula One’s first Black driver and someone who identifies as half African, said racing on the continent remains a personal mission he hopes to achieve before retiring.
“I don’t want to leave the sport without having a Grand Prix there, without getting to race there. I’m going to be here for a while until that happens because that will be amazing, given that I’m half African,” he said.
Reflecting on his travels across Africa, the 41-year-old highlighted Kenya and Rwanda as countries that left a lasting impression on him, saying he could genuinely imagine living in either.
“I know they’re really trying. I think they have explored quite a few countries. The places I have enjoyed the most so far: I loved Kenya, although I don’t think we’re going to have a Grand Prix there. Rwanda was particularly spectacular. Those are two places where I felt like I could live,” Hamilton said.
Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton during a photoshoot at Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit on March 5, 2026 ahead of the Australian Grand Prix.
Photo credit: Reuters
“South Africa is also stunning. I think those are the ones that would be good places for us to potentially go to.”
Formula One has not raced in Africa since the 1993 South African Grand Prix in Kyalami, but the sport came close to returning in 2022. Formula One CEO Stefano Domenicali recently met with representatives from Rwanda as the country explores hosting a grand prix on a permanent track.
“I think it is the most beautiful part of the world, and I don’t like that the rest of the world owns so much of it and takes so much from it and no one speaks about it,” Hamilton said.
“I’m really hoping that the people running those different countries all unite and come together and take Africa back. That’s what I want to see. Take it back from the French, take it back from the Spanish, take it back from the Portuguese and the British. It’s so important for the future of that continent.”
The British driver is preparing for his 20th season in Formula 1. He is hoping to bounce back from a challenging debut campaign with Ferrari, which turned out to be his toughest season statistically, as he failed to secure a podium finish apart from winning the Shanghai Sprint race.
Record of world championships
In August 2022, Hamilton visited Kenya as part of a transformative African tour to trace his roots. During his trip, he explored the Samburu region, visited the Reteti Elephant Sanctuary, and witnessed the Great Migration in the Maasai Mara. He described the experience as a “life-changing reset”.
Besides his exploits on the Formula One track, Hamilton is a prominent advocate in support of activism to combat racism and push for increased diversity in motorsport.
He was listed in the 2020 issue of Time magazine among the 100 most influential people globally and was knighted in the 2021 New Year Honours.
Hamilton received a knighthood at Windsor Castle last year, where he was named in the Queen’s Honours List. He equalled Michael Schumacher’s all-time record of seven world championships.
A knighthood is an award and title given by a British king or queen for high achievement and services to their country within their industry.
