Cape Town Street Circuit

Circuit History

There have been a variety of ideas over the years to bring motor racing to the ‘Mother City’, with a number of failed attempts to bring Formula One to the city. In 2004 a consortium began putting together plans for a permanent facility near to the city’s airport, supposedly with the backing of the Cape Town Government, as well as F1 impresario Bernie Ecclestone.

Hermann Tilke was duly requested to draw up circuit plans and the project seemed to be gaining momentum; Ecclestone was quoted as saying it was a case of “when, not if” that a Grand Prix would be held. “There will be a South African Grand Prix hosted by Cape Town within five years…three years, tops. It will be good for F1, for South Africa and the city. Plans are well advanced and I believe that the government may well become involved.”

The Grand Prix was rumoured to be taking the place of Silverstone on the F1 calendar, however wrangling over the hosting fee and difficulties in engaging the Government in funding talks largely rendered that project dead.

By 2011, attention had switched to organising a street race, using roads around the Sea Point/Moullie Point beachfront area, the Cape Town Stadium Precinct and the V&A Waterfront. Once again, a proposed layout was released and a company formed to promote the event, though nothing came of it. A third bid was also supposedly in play, towards Atlantis, though few details emerged of this.

Formula E begins to gather momentum

It was the fourth bid - this time for ‘an electric racing series’ - which finally became reality, though even this had its own twists and turns before coming to be.

In 2019, rumours began circling that Cape Town was in the running to be host city for the expanding international calendar of the Formula E single-seater series. These rumours were confirmed in July 2019 when it was announced that South African company e-Movement, has entered into a multi-year agreement with FIA world championship.

Once again it was the Green Point area which was set to host the series, using one of its trademark street circuits. The event was to use the Cape Town Stadium as a centre point, with surrounding roads including the waterfront looking over the Atlantic Ocean forming the course.

Mayoral approval was secured for the event and a programme of engineering works to widen and upgrade a number of the roads in the area were due to take place between April and December 2021. However, the Covid-19 pandemic caused these to take longer than expected and with continued uncertainty over global travel movements, the decision was taken to postpone the event for a year.

Happily the delay did not prove terminal and Cape Town is set to host the race for the first time on 25 February 2023.

A lap of the track

Measuring just less than 3kms in length, the start/finish line – as well as the pitlane area – was sited on Vlei Rd, running behind the refurbished Green Point stadium’s grandstand.

Facing Signal Hill, the grid raced towards Green Point before negotiating Turn 1, a sharp left-hander that merged onto Helen Suzman Boulevard, headed towards the central business district. After a short straight the cars entered a roundabout forming a gentle left-hander before diving off along Granger Bay Boulevard.

The cars then continued down the boulevard until the next roundabout, which formed a sharp left turn onto Beach Road. Now entering the fastest portion of the circuit, drivers headed flat out up a long straight and though a kink at Turn 8, before the high speed left-hand Turn 9, past the Radisson Blu Hotel at Granger Bay. Then it was be hard on the brakes as they drew alongside Mouille Point Beach.

Into Fritz Sonnenberg Road the drivers headed towards the Cape Town Stadium, with a final overtaking opportunity as they turned right into the start/finish straight to complete the lap.

Track proves spectacular and fast

As soon as drivers hit the track, they found an ultra-quick circuit in a spectacular setting. During qualifying, Sacha Fenestraz secure his maiden pole position for Nissan, setting the fastest ever lap in FE history in the process at 154.988 km/h.

The race had plenty of action, including several safety cars which caught out race leader Fenestraz and saw drop places each time, having been the early leader. His frustration no doubt mounted furher when he hit the wall on the final lap... In the end, it was Porsche's Antonio Felxi da Costa who took victory with an epic move past Jean-Eric Vergne at Turn Eight.

Race is dropped but plans a return

The Cape Town E-Prix was voted the best race of the 2023 season in a fans’ choice poll, with drivers and organisers eagerly anticipating the event’s return to the Mother City. However, in somewhat surprise move, the track was left off the 2024 calendar, as Formula E elected to go elsewhere.

Cape Town organisers are undeterred, however, and are laying plans to stage a return in 2025.

Chairman of Formula E Cape Town, Iain Banner, says, “Building on the phenomenal success of this year’s event, we plan to surprise and delight South Africans when we do it again in 2025. We wish all the teams a fantastic season as they bring the Formula E fever to China, India, and the US. As a local promoter, we’re on a drive for 2025”.

They seem to have the backing of Formula E's CEO, Alberto Longo, who added: “Cape Town was a highlight of Season 9, not just for local fans at the race, but for TV viewers around the world who tuned in to see spectacular racing against the iconic backdrop. We remain completely supportive of the local stakeholders and know they are doing all they can to stage a Formula E race in 2025.”

Whether the race's return comes to fruition, only time will tell.

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