Lewis Hamilton is determined to race in the first African Grand Prix in Rwanda, but people have been questioning how serious he is.

F1 will host its first race in Africa since 1993 in Rwanda, with the Grand Prix set to take place in the ‘early 2030s’ at an all-new circuit in Bugesera.

The track and facilities are far from being complete, but there is a huge element of excitement around the African Grand Prix. Drivers and fans have called for a race in the continent, with Hamilton being by far the most vocal.

People in the F1 paddock did not think Lewis Hamilton was being serious with his claim about racing in Rwanda

The seven-time champion has made it his mission to get a race in Africa on the F1 calendar. He has finally accomplished it after years of pushing, but the date of the first race has left many doubts around his future.

Hamilton is contracted with Ferrari until 2028, according to reports. The race in Rwanda is not expected to happen until the 2030s, which would make the Brit close to 50 years old when it is scheduled to take place.

Speaking to the media at the Mexico City GP, he reiterated that he plans to make it to the African GP. Many had been questioning how serious those statements were, with journalist Josh Suttill saying people thought he was ‘joking’.

Colleague Edd Straw then said: “Well he’s staying in F1 until 2039 now or something, isn’t he?” Suttill replied: “Well people thought it was a joke, last week, asked about Rwanda, he said: ‘I want to be there at the first race. I’m going to try and make it there.’

“He was asked about, ‘How serious were you?’ And he said: ‘Look, I’m built differently. I have been spending my entire career proving people wrong.’

“He proved a lot of people wrong getting into F1 in the first place, but he also proved a lot of people wrong last year. So many people thought he was down and out.”

Hamilton does have a decision to make on his future and whether he has it in him to make it to the African GP. He certainly believes he can, but things can change quickly in F1 – after all, it was just last year where many believed he would walk away from the sport.