DECEMBER 15, 2001

Kyalami to be redeveloped

THE latest word from South Africa is that the Kyalami circuit in the suburbs of Johannesberg is to be redeveloped once again with half the current circuit being sold off for a housing development, leaving a track which will be only about two miles in length. This would effectively rule the circuit out of any hope of hosting a Grand Prix as the Formula 1 circus. Kyalami has already been substantially rebuild once with half the original track being sold off and turned into a housing development. The locals had hoped that there would be a South African Grand Prix once again but the collapse in the value of the rand against the dollar has meant that this is now not going to happen and with the many other countries which are afflicting South Africa it seems that Kyalami may fade way to be a national circuit. The only international standard track which would be left would be at Welkom but the track has so far failed to produce the results that were hoped as the local area does not the infrastructure to support an international event.