Atlassian Williams Formula One driver Alex Albon will visit South Africa at the end of July in a fan engagement initiative.
The visit, organised in partnership with Super Group brands Betway and Jackpot City, follows a month-long roadshow across Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg, where the Williams FW48 show car toured shopping centres and gave fans the opportunity to see a Formula One car up close.
Williams driver Alain Prost won the country’s last Formula One Grand Prix at Kyalami in 1993 in the championship-winning FW15C.
The appearance by the driver — who holds British and Thai nationalities — comes as calls continue for Formula One to return to Africa, the only inhabited continent currently without a race on the championship calendar.
Williams said the initiative forms part of its strategy to bring Formula One closer to supporters who are unlikely ever to attend a race in person. The team estimates that only about 1% of Formula One fans worldwide will experience a grand prix at a circuit during their lifetime.
The British team has staged fan zones in cities including Melbourne, Austin and Las Vegas that have attracted more than 340,000 visitors over the past two years.
“I’ve always wanted to go to South Africa — it’s a beautiful country and South African fans are some of the most passionate in motorsport,” said Albon, who is currently 16th in this year’s F1 drivers’ championship.
“Bringing F1 to the fans, and doing things a bit differently, is what the Atlassian Williams F1 Team is all about, so this is exactly the kind of moment we love being part of.”
