The Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit, located in Midrand, Gauteng, South Africa, holds a special place in the history of Formula One and motorsport in general. The country has been a part of the F1 journey since the 1960s, with the iconic Kyalami Circuit becoming one of the sport’s most beloved tracks.
Kyalami Circuit Layout
The Early Years
The idea for a motor racing venue near Johannesburg first came to a band of local enthusiasts in the early post war years, hopeful of finding an alternative to the outdated Grand Central Circuit. Wanting to replace the obsolete Grand Central circuit, they acquired land 15 miles north of the city on the way to Pretoria and planned a completely new track called Kyalami. Thus, in January 1961 the enthusiasts and officials met in the Kelvin Hotel in Johannesburg and the South African Motor Racing Club was established.
The work was completely very quickly and in December 1961 the first event - the revived Rand Grand Prix - was won by Jim Clark. Between 1961 and 1966, the circuit established itself as a staple venue on the national scene, with a series of improvements, including the erection of covered grandstands, ensuring that there was continual development of the facilities. Public attendance was huge, thanks to the circuits closeness to Johannesburg, Pretoria and Witwatersrand. The following year the track hosted the Rand Nine Hours, which was the major event in the Springbok sportscar series.
Formula One Arrives
The first modern South African GP took place there in 1960 and was run to Formula Libre regulations - as racing cars were scarce - but in 1962 the South Africans won a place as the finale for the Formula 1 World Championship. As more and more international teams and drivers began to compete in South African events, so the cost of running the bigger races began to escalate and East London soon found itself unable to make the financial commitment necessary to hold a world championship.
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The F1 circus arrived for the opening round of the 1967 World Championship - held on January 2 - and Pedro Rodriguez was the first winner in his Cooper-Maserati. In preparation for the first South African GP at Kyalami major work was carried out at the end of 1966. The South African Motor Racing Club took advantage of the mood of optimism at securing the race to push through a more extensive programme of works. Kyalami soon became a favourite among the teams and drivers, its laid-back atmosphere proving a popular way to begin the racing year. It's usual good weather also established it as a major winter testing venue.
Memorable Moments and Tragedies
The track witnessed unforgettable moments, including Jackie Stewart's 1968 victory, Niki Lauda’s triumph in 1976 and the nail-biting battles of the 1980s. There were also tragedies with the death in testing in 1974 of Peter Revson and during the race in 1977 when Tom Pryce's bright career was snuffed out in a bizarre accident when he hit a marshal who was running across the track.
Among the Formula One races held at the track the 1977 South African Grand Prix stands out, as it is principally remembered for the fatal accident that claimed the lives of race marshal Frederick Jansen van Vuuren and driver Tom Pryce. Instead, the Formula 1 world was rocked by one of the most appalling accidents which the sport had ever seen, and which the Kyalami circuit’s characteristics sadly played a key role in.
In 1978, Riccardo Patrese nearly gave Formula 1 a shock when he led most of the race in the new Arrows. But in the great years at Kyalami there were some memorable events: in 1976, Niki Lauda and James Hunt crossed the line just 1.3secs apart setting the trend for the season.
The Apartheid Era and Its Impact
F1’s presence in the country became increasingly controversial and, by 1985, the race was removed from the calendar. Increasing violence in the country led to the declaration of a state of emergency which would last until 1990 and with that motor racing turned its back on South Africa. The French government forbade the Ligier and Renault teams from visiting South Africa as part of the anti-apartheid campaign. The source of this controversy was South Africa’s long-held official policy of racial segregation known as Apartheid, which ensured that the country’s minority white population held the vast majority of social and political power.
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It would be remiss of any article discussing Formula 1 in South Africa not to address Apartheid, as it is a very poor reflection on the sport that it did business with a country with such an openly racist policy. Even with the less socially conscious attitudes of the 1960s and 70s, Apartheid was widely recognised as abhorrent, and within the F1 paddock there was ongoing criticism of the sport’s presence there which shamefully went largely ignored. What few - including Hunt himself - would deny however is that Kyalami provided some excellent races during its tenure in Formula 1. Indeed, the circuit was generally well-liked by both drivers and fans thanks to its undulating, high-speed layout.
Post-Apartheid Revival and Challenges
Major steps towards dismantling apartheid allowed the race to be run in 1992 and 1993, but a decrease in the value of the Rand caused the promoter to go bankrupt, and the race has not been run since. It’s always seemed a shame to me that as the world re-engaged with South Africa after the collapse of apartheid and the election of Nelson Mandela as President in 1994, international motor racing stayed away.
The event lasted just two years - 1992 and 1993 - and then financial problems and the arrest on fraud charges of the man running the track led to F1 once again looking elsewhere. The election of Nelson Mandela as president in 1994 meant a return to political stability. The financial problems of the country meant that it was not until August 1998 that there were any serious moves towards a new race.
In July 1993 the circuit was sold to the South African Automobile Association which managed to run the facility at a profit, using its conference rooms and exhibition centers to raise money. Funding a Grand Prix was, however, too difficult as the local currency dived against the US dollar.
Kyalami
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Circuit Modifications and Modernization
The old circuit deteriorated and for a long time there were fears that it would be sold to property speculators, who wanted to build in the area as the Johannesburg-Pretoria conurbation grew. In the end half of the land was sold and the money raised was used to build a new track, although this incorporated sections of the old facility. In 1988, a plan to save racing at Kyalami - if not the original circuit - was announced.
The track has undergone significant upgrades, meeting international standards, and has hosted major motorsport events, keeping it in prime condition for a possible F1 comeback. The track has undergone significant upgrades, meeting international standards, and has hosted major motorsport events, keeping it in prime condition for a possible F1 comeback. The new 4.522km Grand Prix circuit has been certified by the Federation International de l'Automobile (FIA) as a Grade 2 race track, conforming to stringent international safety and quality standards.
The Grand Prix circus returned to Kyalami in 1992, and found a very different landscape. There had previously been a massive redesign in 1988 before Formula 1 returned, with the circuit by then resembling the 1992 layout, but in 1991, the final sector was edited to make the track longer, along with a couple name changes. The owners of the track were not oblivious to the growth of the region, and sought to capitalize on the growth.
Kyalami Today
I visited in 2016 and could barely believe what I saw. South African fans, who continue to follow F1 with fervour, are eager to see a new generation of drivers take on Kyalami's twists and turns. A world class circuit by any measure, one that was once more a massive challenge but also hugely fun to drive.
Sefac Ferrari Club SA Kyalami Track Day (Jun 2022) 4K
In recent years, the area surrounding the circuit has developed into a residential and commercial suburb of Johannesburg. More recently, Kyalami has played host to five rounds of the Superbike World Championship from 1998 to 2002 and later in 2009 and 2010, the season finale of the Superstars Series in 2009 and 2010, and the South African round of the 2008-09 A1 Grand Prix season.
The Potential for an F1 Comeback
Now, Oracle Red Bull Racing is bringing that passion back with a thrilling short film that showcases the potential for F1’s resurgence in South Africa. After 30 years since it last hosted a Grand Prix, the Kyalami circuit in South Africa is alive with the sound of Formula 1 cars, featuring David Coulthard at the wheel of Oracle Red Bull Racing’s RB7.
With its high-speed straights, challenging corners and scenic setting near Johannesburg, Kyalami quickly earned a reputation as one of the most exciting circuits on the F1 calendar. Scheckter, who drove for Ferrari, remains South Africa’s only F1 World Champion to date. His success inspired a generation of South African motorsport fans and solidified the country's place in F1 history.
While these races span much of the globe, several observers have noted the conspicuous absence of a grand prix on the world’s second most populous continent - Africa. Among the calls for Formula 1 to host a race in Africa, one of the most vocal has been from seven-time world champion Sir Lewis Hamilton, who recently opined that there was “no excuse” for F1 not hosting a race on the continent.
South African Grand Prix Winners at Kyalami
| Year | Driver | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 1967 | Pedro Rodriguez | Cooper-Maserati |
| 1968 | Jim Clark | Lotus-Ford |
| 1969 | Jackie Stewart | Matra-Ford |
| 1970 | Jack Brabham | Brabham-Ford |
| 1971 | Mario Andretti | Ferrari |
| 1972 | Denny Hulme | McLaren-Ford |
| 1973 | Jackie Stewart | Tyrrell-Ford |
| 1974 | Carlos Reutemann | Brabham-Ford |
| 1975 | Jody Scheckter | Tyrrell-Ford |
| 1976 | Niki Lauda | Ferrari |
| 1977 | Niki Lauda | Ferrari |
| 1978 | Ronnie Peterson | Lotus-Ford |
| 1979 | Gilles Villeneuve | Ferrari |
| 1980 | Rene Arnoux | Renault |
| 1981 | Carlos Reutemann | Williams-Ford |
| 1982 | Alain Prost | Renault |
| 1983 | Riccardo Patrese | Brabham-BMW |
| 1984 | Niki Lauda | McLaren-Ford |
| 1985 | Nigel Mansell | Williams-Honda |
| 1992 | Nigel Mansell | Williams-Renault |
| 1993 | Alain Prost | Williams-Renault |
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