Lewis Hamilton backs new F1 grand prix in Africa

Lewis Hamilton has thrown his support behind a mooted F1 grand prix in Rwanda, Africa.

Ahead of this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix, the Mercedes driver was asked about reports that F1 bosses have scheduled talks with representatives in Rwanda to organise an event.

Africa has not hosted a grand prix since 1993 - in South Africa - and Hamilton has regularly backed the continent to return to the F1 calendar.

“We can't be adding races in other locations and continue to ignore Africa which the rest of the world takes from, no one gives anything to Africa,” he said at Zandvoort where Crash.net are in the paddock.

“There's a huge amount of work there that needs to be done.

“I think a lot of the world that haven't been there don't realise how beautiful the place is and how vast it is.

“I think having a grand prix there would really be able to highlight how great the place is and bring in tourism, and all sorts of things. So why are we not on that continent?

“The current excuse is maybe there's not a track that is ready, but there is at least one track that's ready...

“Rwanda is one of my favourite places I've been to. I've been doing a lot of work in the background and spoken to people in Rwanda and South Africa and that's a long project in Rwanda, but it's amazing that they're so keen to get it.”

Hamilton explains refugee camp visit

Hamilton spent his summer break visiting a refugee camp in Senegal, during a trip through Africa.

He explained that, after a family break in Turkey, he “went and travelled through Africa”.

Hamilton added: “I maximised my time so straight from the airport into activities, history museums and just cultural experiences in each of the different countries I went to.

“There's so much to take from it, I'm still digesting the trip and going to a refugee camp and seeing the work being done there and how people are displaced.

“It's one thing reading about it and seeing it on the news, but actually seeing it and speaking to kids who have 10km to get to school to have an education and then 10km back and not having school meals, not able to eat during the day.

“They have really tough lives over there and it's mostly women and children who are affected the most.

“There weren't a lot of men there because they're either killed or taken in different conflict areas.

“That was really heavy to see and experience and then in Senegal and seeing the slave areas…

“Just to see what the country has been through and it's such a beautiful place. Through all those experience it's adding to my compass of what I want to do going forwards.”

Hamilton added about the refugee camps: “If you don't see it and experience it or speak to someone who has been seriously affected by it, you can't even imagine.

“I've been to Africa before so it's not like the first time I've been shocked by anything.

“It's not that it upsets me, it's more that it gets me working my mind - it's great to see organisations doing amazing work, and what can I do to get on board, how can I help? So that's what I'm trying to do.”

Hamilton returns to F1 at Zandvoort this weekend as the winner of two of the past three rounds.