Fan Builds a Virtual Lap of Rwanda’s Future F1 Circuit in Assetto Corsa

A fan-made Assetto Corsa track is giving Formula 1 followers an early, unofficial look at Rwanda’s planned African Grand Prix venue.

The creator, who uses the name Nukedrop, built the simulation after Formula 1 announced a 10-year agreement to bring racing back to Africa in the early 2030s. Rwanda’s event is planned for a new permanent circuit in Bugesera, southeast of Kigali.

The virtual lap should not be mistaken for an official preview. Formula 1 has not released the complete circuit layout, so Nukedrop’s version is an interpretation rather than a digital reconstruction of a finished track.

According to the creator’s description, the project was assembled in roughly a day using the single official preview image available at the time, along with satellite imagery and elevation information to estimate the venue’s location and contours. The resulting version measures about 4.65 kilometers and includes an estimated difference of roughly 70 meters between the highest and lowest points on the racing line.

Those figures differ from the outline described by Formula 1. The planned Rwandan circuit is expected to be approximately 6 kilometers long, run counterclockwise and feature 17 corners. Formula 1 has also described a substantial elevation change, banked and cambered turns, and a layout intended to work for several forms of motorsport.

That gap is the key to understanding the video. The simulation is useful as a visual thought experiment: it translates limited public information into something viewers can drive. But its corner sequence, dimensions and racing characteristics remain the creator’s best estimate until the official design is published and the circuit is built.

The virtual project also shows how quickly racing-game communities can respond to new venues. Once Formula 1 released an image connected with the Rwanda announcement, independent creators could combine geographic data with game-development tools to produce a playable concept before construction had begun.

For fans, the most meaningful confirmed detail is not the simulated lap time or the appearance of the virtual car. It is the type of venue Rwanda and Formula 1 are describing: a purpose-built circuit shaped by the area’s hills and intended to host more than Formula 1. Formula 1 has said the wider project is being developed to FIA Grade 1 standards and could support other major racing categories.

The next major test will be the release of a detailed official layout. Until then, Nukedrop’s track is best viewed as an unofficial visualization of the project’s possibilities—not evidence of what drivers will eventually race in Rwanda.