JUNE 5, 1995
Don't forget South Africa
SOUTH Africa has had a long history with Formula 1 and the South Africans still hope to re-establish a regular South African Grand Prix.
The World Championship first visited South Africa in 1962 and was a regular fixture on the F1 calendar until 1985. F1 returned in 1992 and 1993 but political uncertainty and Kyalami's financial problems mean that South Africa has not been a part of the series for the last two years.
The South Africans, however, still want a race and we hear that the locals are bidding for the final race of the 1996 championship. This will be tempting for F1 because Kyalami is a popular venue and Nelson Mandela's government has been doing a good job to contain violence and boost the economy. A Grand Prix would be a good advertisement for the new South Africa. Mandela is due to retire in 1999 but one of the leading candidates to replace him is F1 fan Cyril Ramaphosa.