An F1 enthusiast brings the upcoming grand prix track in Rwanda to life through the "Assetto Corsa" simulation.
Just 72 hours after Formula 1 announced a decade-long agreement to hold races in Africa, a user-generated onboard camera clip of Rwanda’s upcoming grand prix venue started making the rounds online.
It offers an entertaining glimpse into what the track might feel like from a driver's perspective, but it’s merely an enthusiast's interpretation based on the sole preview image F1 has shared so far, rather than the actual design. So keep that in mind.
The creator is Nukedrop, and the Spanish F1 account Nachez shared the video on X. The recording garnered around 695 likes and reached 41,000 viewers after initially appearing in the Formula1 section of Reddit.
This mod, developed within the Assetto Corsa game, was constructed in “the last 24 or so hours,” as noted in Nukedrop’s YouTube description. He recreated the circuit by aligning the airport seen in F1’s image with satellite maps, then utilized real elevation data for the nearby landscape. The simulation features a Ferrari showcasing its current red-and-white livery and the number 44 - Hamilton’s car - with the seven-time champion's yellow helmet just visible at the bottom of the screen as it maneuvers under a bridge and over multi-colored track curbs.
Tyrone Hesbrook, known by the alias Nukedrop, has made a name for himself as a leading circuit designer in the Assetto Corsa community, with previous projects including Pikes Peak and custom tracks like Circuit Thermalito.
Don’t mix this up with other fan initiatives. Romeo Gagliotti’s “Rwanda International Circuit” mod is a fictional 5.3km clockwise layout, while TC Esports has released an unofficial version in the F1 25 game.
Fan version compared to the official plans
Nukedrop’s track spans just 4.65km - about 1.35km shorter than the approximately 6km layout described by the official designers. The sanctioned circuit will feature 17 corners and be run in an anti-clockwise direction. The complete layout has yet to be unveiled, and Nukedrop acknowledges that his version involves “a lot of educated guesses regarding scale, elevation, and details obscured from view.”
Elevation is even more complex to gauge. Wurz has estimated that the lap involves a vertical elevation gain of 197m, whereas the fan-created version accounts for around 70m of height variation throughout the track. These measurements don’t align, meaning both can be accurate: a track can ascend 197m in total yet only have a 70m difference from lowest to highest point.
WurzDesign, in partnership with Tilke Engineering, is working on the circuit in Bugesera, located approximately 40km south of Kigali near an airport expected to open in 2028. The track navigates through hilly terrain, includes lakeside sections, features cambered corners, and boasts a high-speed straight exceeding 1km that culminates in a tight corner designed to encourage overtaking.
Carsten Tilke indicates that gradients reach between 12-13%, and Wurz describes the outcome as “like a roller coaster and genuinely unique.”
Wurz has completed numerous laps in simulation, and the virtual layout has also been tested by current F1 drivers. This standard of research differs from that of a modder relying on a press render, although the fan version was released first, and Nukedrop’s Patreon supporters can already download it.
With the inaugural race not scheduled until the early 2030s, speculation will continue for years. Until the full layout is revealed, a Ferrari in Assetto Corsa is as close as many will get.
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