Have you ever seen a Formula 1 car? Now, don’t let this pass you by this weekend, as SportPesa will be unveiling a replica of the 2019 Racing Point F1 car, the first ever to be done in Africa. It will be unveiled at the Concours d’Elegance on 27th September 2026 at Nairobi Racecourse, Ngong Road.
The original Racing Point RP19 Formula One racing car was designed and developed by the Racing Point F1 Team. It measured 220 inches (5,600 mm) in length and 79 inches (2,000 mm) in width and weighed 743 kg (1,638 lb).
The RP19 is powered by a 1.6L Mercedes M10 EQ or BWT Mercedes V6 engine, which is combined with the RP19’s highly efficient Energy Recovery System (ERS) to generate roughly 1,000 horsepower at peak output, which was limited to 15,000 RPM.
What’s displayed at the Concours d’Elegance will be the SportPesa Racing Point show car, which will have the same design character, livery, exterior, and interior looks, but no V10 sound because it doesn’t have an engine.
The car wasn’t used by the Racing Point team, but it represents what was being used by the team. The SportPesa Racing Point Formula One Team became the first team to launch an F1 car in Canada and also the first team to showcase the team’s show car in Kenya, the hometown of SportPesa.
The show car remained largely in the pink color of sponsor BWT, a water technology company, while the engine cover and detailing on the front wing highlight the logo of its betting platform sponsor, SportPesa. The original Formula One car was driven by veteran Mexican racing driver Sergio Pérez, who started with the team in 2014 and left the team in 2020.
The SportPesa Racing Point show car, or replica in Kenya, is history in the making because never in my life have I ever heard of the presence of the car in the country or an event where they are unveiling a new F1 show car for a certain team.
The car will be showcased alongside other vintage and classic motorcycles and cars in a field filled with not more than 40 to 70 cars at Nairobi Racecourse, Ngong Road.
