Formula 1 chiefs have abandoned plans to revive the South African Grand Prix.
Three decades have passed since the sport last raced at the Kyalami circuit, sandwiched between Johannesburg and the administrative capital Pretoria. The track is not currently fit to host F1 racing under FIA regulations, but work has been mooted to turn it into a Grade 1 venue.
A return to Africa has been a priority for F1 chiefs as they explore untapped markets to branch out into following the sport's popularity boom. There was plenty of talk that the South Africa race would return this year, but it was absent from the race calendar when it was unveiled last year.
Naturally, attention then turned to 2024 with a new promoter for the planned race in position. However, plans to race in South Africa any time soon have now been abandoned.
The news will be a blow to Lewis Hamilton, who has made no secret of his desire to race in Africa. Despite having been in the sport for 15 years he has never had the chance to don his racing suit on the continent and would desperately like to do so before ending his F1 career.
"The place that I really feel, to my heart, is most important to me is to get a race back in South Africa," he said last year. "I think there is a great following out there and I think it would be great to highlight how beautiful the motherland is."
According to RacingNews365, "political reasons" are behind the decision to abandon plans to race again in South Africa. The publication claims sources have said the country's alignment with Russia is the driving force behind the reason to walk away from talks.
F1 wasted little time before axing the Russian Grand Prix race at Sochi in the wake of the Ukraine invasion last February. The FIA also made any Russian or Belarusian racers sign up for a neutrality pact if they wanted to continue competing in events sanctioned by the governing body.
South Africa has adopted a neutral stance and has not denounced Russia for its invasion. The country has also been accused by the US of supplying arms to Vladimir Putin's war machine.
While a blow to Hamilton's desire to race on the continent, it is good news for organisers of the Belgian Grand Prix. F1 does not plan to go beyond 24 races per season and the addition of new venues will ultimately lead to some more traditional events in Europe losing their places or becoming bi-annual inclusions. The Spa-Francorchamps race is considered to be the most vulnerable.
