By Alan Baldwin
AUSTIN, Texas, Oct 22 (Reuters) - Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton said a race in Africa was a dream that could keep him going longer in the sport now that Formula One has done a deal with Rwanda for a grand prix in the early 2030s.
The Ferrari driver will be 42 in January and has a contract for 2027. Fernando Alonso, the oldest active F1 driver, is 45 and recently signed up for another season with Aston Martin.
"I'm now forced to stay a lot longer because we have a race in Africa,
and that's been my dream, to be able to race in Africa," Hamilton said at the US Grand Prix on Thursday in a press conference alongside championship leader Kimi Antonelli.
"I have to keep fighting to try and stay fit. If I can still punch out good results over the next year, we'll keep it going."
Antonelli, who replaced Hamilton at Mercedes last season and is still only 20 years old, encouraged him: "You got to do at least the first one."
Hamilton, the sport's first and only Black champion, has long campaigned for a race in Africa -- a continent that last hosted a race at South Africa's Kyalami circuit in 1993 -- and spoke of his efforts.
"Countless meetings with the stakeholders, so many meetings with (F1 CEO) Stefano (Domenicali) at his office in London, but also on race weekends, countless calls: 'What's happening? Where are we going? Who are you meeting with?'
"Many meetings with different presidents from different countries. Lots of phone calls with different presidents from different countries within Africa," he recalled. "I think for me, it's a place that deserves to have a grand prix. It's about more than just one country. It's about the continent itself."
Hamilton said an African race would make people more aware of the continent, but recognized there were concerns.
Human rights campaigners Amnesty International recently accused Formula One of hollow words and offering Rwanda a "sportswashing prize" -- an accusation leveled at countries perceived to be using sport to improve a tarnished image abroad.
"Of course, I don't get to choose where we go. Naturally, there are problems all over the world today, so I've seen many of the stories. But I think we really have to approach it with humility," Hamilton said.
"Of course, going there doesn't mean that you neglect the things that are happening there. So hopefully many people start to educate themselves a little bit more about what is happening there and what has happened there for hundreds of years. I hope that does spark the conversation."
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin; Editing by Chris Reese)
