AFRICA IS at the top of Formula One’s wish list for new races. F1 global director of race promotion Chloe Targett-Adams, who deals with event organisers, says the continent is key to the sport’s development.

South Africa is reported to be the most likely venue. Morocco, which hosted a race in 1958, are also early contenders.

“Africa, it’s such an important place to go back,” seven-times world champion Sir Lewis Hamilton said in a fan Q&A released by Mercedes race sponsor Petronas last year.

“At the moment F1 goes to countries and doesn’t really leave much behind if anything. F1 has to shift into being a sport that does go to place and leaves behind something that can really help the communities.

“Bringing the attention back to Africa and highlighting the beautiful place it is, I think that’s the most important place that we have to go to.”

“I completely agree with Lewis, Africa is a continent that we don’t race in, and that is just wrong,” Targett-Adams told a Blackbook online seminar.

“It’s somewhere that we very much want, it’s the priority. We’ve been in talks with possible options for a few years. And we’re hoping that ultimately, we will be able to achieve a race there in the kind of near to mid-term.

“Alongside Africa, the US remains a clear strategic priority. We’ve got a great race in Austin now, where we’re looking forward to working with our promoter hopefully for some more years to come.

“But we’re looking at a second race opportunity, a destination location, and looking to build up that US race proposition. Equally Asia, we’ve made no secret of the fact that that also is a key priority.”