Morocco Unveils $1.2 Billion Formula 1 Circuit Plan, Eyeing Return to F1 Calendar

"Alongside South Africa and Rwanda, Morocco could soon enter the African race to host Formula 1. F1’s hopes of returning to the African continent could be boosted if a Moroccan project estimated at 1.2 billion dollars gets the green light," announces RacingNews365, the media specialized in motorsport news. Stefano Domenicali, F1’s CEO, confirmed on the sidelines of the Monaco Grand Prix that discussions are ongoing with three African countries to host F1 and end more than three decades of absence. No competition has taken place on the continent since the Johannesburg GP in 1993.

The project plans for the construction of a Grade 1 homologated circuit, the minimum required to host an F1 Grand Prix. It will be built on a site located about twenty kilometers south of Tangier. This "mini-complex" will consist of a theme park, a shopping center, hotels, a marina, and could generate up to 10,000 direct and indirect jobs. "To date, a private investment of 800 million dollars has been secured. It is hoped that the rest of the funding will follow, provided that the project receives approval from the highest Moroccan authorities," specifies the specialized media.

This mega-project is led by Eric Boullier, former director of the French Grand Prix between 2018 and 2022. With his French GP team, the former boss of McLaren and Lotus teams conducted a feasibility study in 2023. "We went on site to carry out a feasibility study and assess the potential of the region to host a Formula 1 Grand Prix. We found that the site met all the criteria, and from there, we built the project. It’s a large-scale project, a mini-Abu Dhabi if I may say so, creating a totally autonomous ecosystem, centered on tourism," he explained to RacingNews365.

However, two major conditions still need to be met: securing the funding and obtaining formal agreement from the Moroccan authorities. If these two steps are completed, discussions can open with Stefano Domenicali. "F1 wants to return to Africa. And Africa deserves its place in F1. But as long as the project hasn’t received political green light, it will remain on paper," emphasizes Boullier. If the green light is obtained, the work could be completed within three years to allow Morocco to host F1 in 2028. The kingdom was the first African country to host a Grand Prix. It was on October 19, 1958, on the Aïn-Diab circuit in Casablanca.