By GPC Sports Reporter
Formula 1 returned to the spotlight in Kenya on Sunday as SportPesa unveiled a full-scale replica of the 2019 Racing Point Formula 1 car during the 54th Africa Concours d’Elegance at Ngong Racecourse.
The unveiling marked a new chapter in SportPesa’s motorsport activities in Kenya and revived memories of its involvement with the Racing Point F1 Team during the 2019 season, when Sergio Pérez and Lance Stroll competed under the SportPesa Racing Point banner.
Also Read
The car unveiled at the Concours recreates the distinctive Racing Point Formula 1 identity and is intended to give Kenyan motorsport enthusiasts an opportunity to experience the spectacle of an F1 car up close.
SportPesa Head of Operations Benard Chauro said the initiative was aimed at reconnecting the brand with its Formula 1 history while taking the experience beyond the Concours.
“We have a genuine connection to Formula 1. In 2019, Kenyans watched SportPesa Racing Point compete on the world stage, and that created a connection with motorsport fans that has stayed with us,” Chauro said.
“Bringing this car home is about reconnecting with that history and giving people the opportunity to experience it beyond the screen,” he added.
Under the company’s Home For Good initiative, the car will remain in Kenya and later tour malls and other public spaces, allowing more fans to see it outside the Concours grounds.
“This car is here for good. It belongs to Kenya and to every fan who has ever dreamed of standing next to an F1 car,” Chauro said.
“We want to take it to the people, to malls and public spaces, so that more Kenyans can get up close to the Formula 1 experience.”
The unveiling formed part of the Africa Concours d’Elegance, an event that brings together motoring enthusiasts, automotive heritage and motorsport at the historic Ngong Racecourse.
Peter Wanday, chairman of the Alfa Romeo Owners Club, welcomed SportPesa’s participation and said the presence of a Formula 1 car added a new dimension to the event.
“We welcome SportPesa to this year’s Concours d’Elegance, and we hope this is the start of a long partnership for motor racing in this country,” Wanday said.
“For 56 editions, Concours has celebrated the finest in motoring, and having a Formula 1 car here for the first time is a fitting way to mark that history.”
He added that the club looked forward to seeing what the partnership could contribute to motorsport in Kenya.
The SportPesa Formula 1 car will now be taken to different locations across the country as part of the planned mall tour, with details of the schedule expected to be announced later.
