African Grand Prix · Bugesera, Rwanda
Rwanda Hot Lap
Pick any of the eleven 2026 cars and drive the circuit revealed on 13 October 2026 for F1's return to Africa: up through the hairpins to the hilltop, down the 15% plunge to the lakeside esses and back up to the line. Lights out, then chase your ghost and the medal times.
3D view of Bugesera Circuit in the Ferrari car from the chase camera. Speed, lap timing, the track map and the elevation are shown alongside.
Building the circuit…
In the game
- Medals: beat the Author, Gold, Silver and Bronze times (Trackmania-style, set by the reference driver).
- Racing line: the optimal line on the asphalt, coloured live — green go, yellow lift, red brake (colour-blind palette too). L toggles it.
- Car setup: wings, brake bias, differential, fuel, energy mode and Soft / Medium / Hard tyres that warm up and wear.
- 2026 rules: Straight Mode active aero on the straights and the Overtake boost (hold B or Y) from the 350 kW battery.
- Any controller: keyboard, touch, phone tilt steering, gamepads and steering wheels with pedal calibration and rumble.
- Cameras & photos: chase, T-cam, cockpit, TV and overhead (keys 1–5), plus a photo mode to save high-resolution shots.
The circuit
Official figures
- Where
- Bugesera, ~40 km south of Kigali, by the new airport
- Length
- ≈ 6 km, anticlockwise
- Corners
- 17
- Elevation
- 197 m of change per lap (Spa: 102 m)
- Altitude
- ≈ 1,300–1,400 m above sea level
- Design
- WurzDesign with Tilke Engineering
- First race
- Early 2030s (10-year deal)
In this game
- Length
- 4.650 km, anticlockwise
- Corners
- 17
- Elevation
- 71 m range, steepest 15.7%
- Highest corner
- Turn 7 (1,400 m)
- Lowest corner
- Turn 12, by the lake (1,333 m)
F1 has shown one preview render; the full official map is not public yet, so this is our reconstruction of the layout. Expect the real circuit to be longer and hillier when it is published.
Elevation
From the start the lap climbs through the hairpins to its high point at Turn 7, then drops down the long back straight to the lake and climbs back to the line.
| Turn | Direction | Angle | Tightest radius | Elevation | Gradient at apex |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | left | 56° | 90 m | 1,374 m | −4.3% |
| 2 | right | 146° | 60 m | 1,354 m | +2.4% |
| 3 | left | 21° | 175 m | 1,366 m | +8.0% |
| 4 | right | 130° | 38 m | 1,381 m | +5.9% |
| 5 | left | 166° | 28 m | 1,384 m | +2.0% |
| 6 | right | 35° | 166 m | 1,397 m | +5.8% |
| 7 | left | 120° | 30 m | 1,400 m | +2.1% |
| 8 | right | 33° | 279 m | 1,343 m | −10.6% |
| 9 | left | 161° | 22 m | 1,343 m | +0.0% |
| 10 | right | 89° | 74 m | 1,334 m | +4.4% |
| 11 | left | 179° | 48 m | 1,338 m | −7.0% |
| 12 | right | 111° | 55 m | 1,333 m | −5.4% |
| 13 | left | 50° | 65 m | 1,341 m | +3.4% |
| 14 | right | 49° | 52 m | 1,347 m | +5.8% |
| 15 | left | 64° | 78 m | 1,351 m | +2.2% |
| 16 | right | 31° | 117 m | 1,357 m | +7.4% |
| 17 | left | 133° | 38 m | 1,362 m | −2.1% |
How it was built
- Cars: the eleven 2026 team cars as full 3D models, lit by the sky and sun with real-time shadows; wheels turn and steer, brakes glow and the rear light flashes while the car harvests energy.
- Physics: slip-based tyres with weight transfer, an eight-speed gearbox, 2026 active aero (straight mode) and grip that changes on kerbs, paint, gravel and grass; downforce and drag use the thinner air at Bugesera's altitude. Calibrated against real 2026 telemetry and the 2026 regulations. Steering, traction, ABS and stability assists can be switched off.
- Sound: synthesized live from the car — the V6 turbo hybrid, gear changes, tyres, kerbs, wind and the crowd — no recordings.
Fan-made game, not affiliated with Formula 1, the FIA, the teams or the Government of Rwanda.