Hold on South Africa, we’re not hosting a Formula 1 Grand Prix just yet…

Comment by Jehran Naidoo

Judging by the comments online under the news about Kyalami’s new “Grade 1 FIA approval”, it seems as though South Africans are convinced that we are set to host the grandest race of them all.

Just to be clear, the announcement made this week by Kyalami Circuit boss Toby Venter was about them taking a step closer to hosting a F1 race.

There is still a ton of work that needs to be done, and even after that costly work, the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) can still close the door on South Africa’s face. 

So, nothing’s really set in stone at this point, but Kyalami Circuit does appear to be the front-runner ahead of the Cape Town bid when it comes to hosting the race.

What was said this week? 

Kyalami’s Grade 1 plans were approved by the FIA, meaning they were given the green light to upgrade their track to the highest possible standards in motorsport.

When complete, Kyalami can compare itself to the likes of Fuji Speedway in Japan, Hockenheimring in Germany and the Indianapolis Speedway in the United States. 

Venter confirmed that the FIA had approved the plans to upgrade Kyalami to a Grade 1 race track. The 4.5km surface holds a Grade 2 licence. It is estimated that the upgrades will cost between R100 million and R180m.

“When we acquired Kyalami in 2014, we made a commitment to restore it, not just as a world-class venue, but as a beacon for motorsport across the African continent. The FIA’s acceptance of our Grade 1 design is a major step forward in that journey,” Venter said on Wednesday. 

Venter roped in UK-based motorsport engineering consultants Double Apex to help with their bid to host the race.

Clive Bowen, director of Double Apex, said the upgrades would take around three months to complete.

Bowen assured that these were “light upgrades” to an already world-class facility. There are also plans to extend spectator areas.

The upgrades will primarily revolve around enhancing run-off areas, barrier systems, debris fencing, kerbs, and drainage.

No physical changes will be made to the circuit itself, and will remain the same from when Ayrton Senna drove his McLaren there back in the 1990s. 

What is a Grade 1 race track ? 

A Grade 1 track is supposed to be longer than 3.5km, but no longer than 7km. The straights cannot exceed 2km.

Besides the hoard of safety measures that need to be adhered to, a Grade 1 track must also undergo annual inspections to ratify its status in the eyes of the FIA, and cough up a hefty fee in the process.

The type of cars being raced on the surface also affects the Grade of licence you need to have.

In the hybrid era that we currently find ourselves in, Formula 1 cars produce over 1,000 horsepower and weigh between 730kg and 760kg.

With a power to weight ratio at that level, F1 cars require a Grade 1 level track to race on. 

If a Grade 1 licence is granted by the FIA, it is valid for a period of three years.