Kyalami hopes for F1 green light

CONSULTANCY: R88M-R177M UPGRADES RECOMMENDED

- Faizel Patel

The sound of a Formula One car going at full throttle is getting closer and louder with significant developments in South Africa's quest to host a F1 Grand Prix at the Kyalami Grand Prix circuit in Midrand.

The roar of engines will delight South African F1 fans, who have been begging for the high-octane sport to return to the country, which now seems a possibility.

This comes after Kyalami has taken proactive steps by engaging the services of Apex Circuit Design to prepare a road map for FIA Grade 1 accreditation, a requirement to host a Formula 1 event.

Apex is an award-winning motorsport engineering consultancy responsible for the design and delivery of some of the world's best racetracks.

To meet the requirement for an FIA Grade 1 rating needed to host an F1 race, Apex recommended upgrades estimated to cost between $5 million to $10 million (about R88.7 million to R177.4 million).