Ex-Bolton star Marvin Sordell is leading Nigeria’s efforts to host a Formula 1 race as they join the growing list of nations who want to strike a deal with the FIA
Nigeria has become the latest African country to come forward and express a desire to host an F1 race with ex-Premier League frontman and Olympian Marvin Sordell fronting their bid.
F1 currently visits every habitable continent bar Africa, where it hasn’t been since the South African Grand Prix in 1993 at Kyalami. There is a growing desire to return however and South Africa, Morocco and Rwanda have all come forward and expressed an intention to bid..
Now Nigeria has joined with Opus Race Promotions eyeing a new circuit in the capital of Abuja, alongside a karting track, hotels and a motorsport museum. Former Burnley and Bolton forward Sordell, who also played for Great Britain at the Olympics in London, is co-chief executive of the promotional company
They have been officially appointed to negotiate on behalf of the Nigerian government with F1 and the FIA. The bid has “early support” from the Nigerian government, claims The Times.
F1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali has been invited to visit Abuja to take a look at the project. He has admitted this season that talks are ongoing regarding a race in Africa but added: “I don’t think we’re going to have an outcome in the very short term.”
READ MORE: Max Verstappen to Mercedes rumours will only intensify after George Russell admissionREAD MORE: Lewis Hamilton admits ‘refusing’ Ferrari situation after crunch talks with bosses in Italy
Shehu Dikko, chairman of the National Sports Commission in Nigeria, said: “We are exploring all possibilities to bring Formula 1 to Nigeria as soon as practicable.
“Not just as a sporting event, but as a catalytic driver of tourism, infrastructure development, youth engagement, economy and indeed soft power for Nigeria. This vision aligns with the Renewed Hope and Shared Prosperity vision of our president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”
South Africa was the last African nation to host a major global event across any sport when it had the World Cup back in 2010, which was won by Spain. Africa has never had the Olympics, but one of its countries does host the Africa Cup of Nations, so will have experience in putting on a major event.
Lewis Hamilton has been among those constantly pushing for the sport to return to Africa and said last year: “We can’t be adding races in other locations and continuing to ignore Africa, which the rest of the world just takes from. No one gives anything to Africa.
“There’s a huge amount of work needs to be done there. I think a lot of the world that haven’t been there don’t realise how beautiful the place is, how vast it is. And probably they don’t even know what the countries are doing still to those places in terms of holding back.”
