Kenyan social media star Joy Jeptoo, 24, paid several thousand dollars to see the Formula 1 season’s opening race in Bahrain and its season finale in the UAE city of Abu Dhabi last year.
She compares the way “football lovers always want to go to the stadiums to support their team and also explore a new country” to how she feels about her hobby.
Africans who like to attend Formula One races in person are increasingly choosing to go to the Middle East, which holds four of these events annually. However, since Africa is still the only continent not included in the F1 race schedule, they are unable to enjoy a race on their own land.
Going to races has turned into a ritual for several members of Paddock Experience, Kenya’s largest F1 group.
They belong to the rapidly expanding group of ardent F1 fans in Africa, who are witnessing an unparalleled surge in the traditionally Eurocentric sport.
Television viewership in North Africa has more than tripled, and many who support Formula One believe that the continent as a whole has enormous development potential for both TV and digital media.
