Lewis Hamilton calls on French, Spanish, Portuguese and British to get out of Africa as he seeks the return of F1 to the continent.

The Stevenage-born, seven-time world champion has never made any secret of the fact that he wants to see F1 in Africa, hopefully somewhere other than South Africa, which has hosted a round of the world championship on 23 occasions, and speaking in Melbourne made it clear that he hopes that it is while he is still racing.

"I've had the privilege... I've been to ten countries now in Africa," he told reporters. "There's still so much more for me to see.

"For the past six years, maybe seven, I've been fighting in the background to get a Grand Prix," he added, "it might be longer than that actually, sitting with stakeholders and asking the question, why are we not in Africa?

"There's one on every other continent, why not Africa? I know they're really trying. I think they've been to quite a few different countries. The ones that I've enjoyed the most: I loved Kenya. I don't think we're going to have a Grand Prix in Kenya, but Rwanda particularly was spectacular. Two places I felt like I could live. South Africa is stunning. I think those are the ones I think would be good places for us to potentially go to.

"I don't want to leave the sport without having a Grand Prix there, without getting to race there, so I'm chasing them: when is it going to be? They're setting certain dates, I'm like, damn, I could be running out of time, so I'm going to be here for a while until that happens, because that would be amazing, given that I'm half African."

Only last week F1 announced that Year on Year operating income in 2025 was up 28% on 2024, while team payments were up 11%.

Primary revenue grew for the full year, we were told, with increases across all primary revenue streams. Sponsorship revenue grew due to the recognition of revenue from new sponsors, contractual increases from existing sponsors and growth in digital advertising revenue, media rights revenue increased due to contractual increases in fees, the continued growth in F1 TV subscription revenue and recognition of one-time revenue associated with the F1 movie and race promotion revenue grew primarily due to contractual increases in fees.

Now, one has to ask, as the sport targets ever more ways in which to add to its already bulging coffers, are the main stakeholders, not forgetting the teams, happy to offer any of the African nations a race at discount?

"I've got roots from a few different places there, like Togo and Benin," said Hamilton. "I went to visit Benin last year, Senegal and Nigeria. It's something I'm really, really proud of. I'm really proud of that part of the world. I think it is the most beautiful part of the world, and I don't like that the rest of the world owns so much of it and takes so much from it and no one speaks about it.

"I'm really hoping that the people that are running those different countries all unite and come together and take Africa back," he declared. "That's what I want to see. Take it back from the French, take it back from the Spanish, take it back from the Portuguese and the British.

"It's so important for the future of that continent. They have all the resources to be the greatest and most powerful place in the world, and that's probably why they are being controlled the way they are. But anyways, move on."

While Sir Lewis is talking about taking Africa back, he might want to have a word with the Chinese and Russians, he's in Shanghai next weekend so perhaps he can have a word.

Other than that, it could be the starting point for the plot of the F1 Movie sequel.