Rwanda’s planned Formula One circuit in Bugesera will use the area’s hills, lake and natural elevation changes to create a challenging racing track designed to encourage overtaking and offer spectators views of the surrounding landscape.

Alex Wurz, former Formula One driver and Chairman of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (GPDA), who is leading the circuit’s design through his company, says the project draws heavily on the natural terrain of the site, where the track will form part of a wider development around the new Bugesera International Airport.

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Speaking to freelance Formula One journalist John Noble, Wurz explained how the design has evolved since discussions with the Rwandan government began in 2023, and why he believes the proposed RISE Motordrome could become a favourite among drivers.

Here are five things to know about the planned circuit.

A circuit shaped by Rwanda’s landscape

Unlike circuits designed primarily around existing urban infrastructure, the Bugesera project takes advantage of the natural landscape, including two hills and a lake.

Wurz said the terrain immediately stood out when he first visited the site, inspiring a design that incorporates elevation changes and allows spectators on both sides of the circuit to look down towards the racing action.

The track will also include fast corners running alongside the lake, offering views of the surrounding landscape.

"This is Rwanda, this is the African Grand Prix and we want to be true to itself,” Wurz said, explaining why the circuit would have its own identity rather than imitate tracks developed elsewhere.

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The project forms part of a broader development planned for the Bugesera area, which is expected to include housing, sports facilities, universities and hotels around the new airport.

Wurz said the choice of location followed an assessment of different possible sites, including an urban circuit and an older airport, before the team settled on Bugesera.

A 197-metre elevation change

One of the circuit’s most distinctive features will be its elevation changes.

Wurz said the track will have a cumulative elevation gain of 197 metres over one lap, which he described as a record within the Formula One calendar. He compared it with Spa-Francorchamps, saying the figure was roughly twice the elevation change at the Belgian circuit.

The circuit’s altitude will range from approximately 1,363 metres to 1,415 metres above sea level, according to Wurz.

That will make it one of the highest venues on the Formula One calendar, behind Mexico City, which is known for the challenges its altitude presents to teams.

At higher altitudes, thinner air affects aerodynamic downforce, engine performance and cooling. Designers must therefore account for these conditions when developing a circuit.

Wurz said the team had incorporated the altitude into its simulations and adjusted the banking of some corners to increase mechanical grip.

The next challenge will be selecting the appropriate asphalt characteristics to provide sufficient grip in both wet and dry conditions.

Three potential overtaking opportunities

Wurz said the circuit is being designed to encourage wheel-to-wheel racing rather than simply deliver an impressive-looking layout.

He identified three corners involving heavy braking combined with turning as potential overtaking opportunities.

Drivers will approach these sections at high speed before slowing significantly while negotiating the corners. According to Wurz, this combination could allow them to attempt late overtaking moves, including dive-bombs.

The circuit will also include sequences where drivers must balance attacking and defending positions, potentially creating opportunities for following cars.

However, Wurz cautioned against promising that Bugesera will produce more overtaking than every other circuit.

The number of overtakes during a race depends on several factors, including tyre degradation, tyre strategy and how closely matched the cars are.

He said the layout had been tested using simulations and overtaking models, with the aim of making it suitable for Formula One and other racing categories.

"I think it will be an amazing circuit for racing, but equally for the drivers,” he said.

A technical challenge for drivers

Beyond overtaking, Wurz wants the circuit to test drivers’ precision, consistency and ability to manage a car through a sequence of corners.

He highlighted a section near the lake, where drivers will move through a series of fast corners after cresting a hill.

The sequence is designed so that small mistakes can affect performance through several subsequent corners. Drivers will need to manage steering, throttle and braking carefully rather than rely on one aggressive move.

Wurz described the section as a mental challenge in which drivers must balance the desire to push harder against the risk of losing time.

He compared the experience with Suzuka in Japan, a circuit renowned for its demanding sequences of linked corners, while stressing that Bugesera’s layout was not copied from it.

The designer also singled out Turn Two, where drivers will descend a hill at high speed before entering a corner with 12 per cent banking, followed by an uphill section with a 14 per cent gradient.

The changing gradients are intended to create a combination of high compression and elevation that drivers will have to navigate precisely.

Wurz said he hoped these features would make the circuit memorable both for spectators and for drivers using racing simulators and video games.

Drivers have already reviewed the design

Wurz said the design process has involved consultations with drivers, drawing on his own racing experience and his work with the GPDA.

He said several drivers, including world champions, had reviewed the layout and offered feedback.

The track has also evolved since its original conception in 2024, with adjustments being made to account for soil conditions and the lake’s level.

Wurz said the team was now in the detailed design phase, working alongside engineering partners to refine the project.

He emphasised that circuit design involves more than selecting exciting corners. Engineers must also consider drainage, soil conditions, water and electricity supplies, construction costs and safety requirements.

The aim, he said, is to create a circuit that balances the demands of drivers with the practical requirements of building and operating a major motorsport facility.

The project is being developed through a collaboration involving Wurz’s company and engineering partners, including Tilke Engineers.

Wurz said early works were expected to begin at the start of 2027, although the final construction schedule and delivery milestones remain dependent on the project’s progress.