Active Mountain Raceway – Merritt

When was the track built?

The project for a 1.2km banked tri-oval combined with a 4km course was submitted in the late 1990s, and the first groundworks started in 2001, but they were stopped due to financial issues and unfortunately never completed.
The project was so good that the new Formula 1 Organization made it possible to re-vamp it and re-start the construction of the first complex of this kind in Canada, with the first ever Formula 1 race on a mixed road-oval racetrack in the country.

When was its first Grand Prix?

It will be the first ever race on this circuit.
It is one of the eight Canadian circuits which will rotate for four spots in the Continental Series.

What’s the circuit like?

The 5.9km combined course used by Formula 1 will use the oval pit lane and start/finish line.
It has two twisty and slow sequences, from Turn 2 to 14 and from 18 to 25, where traction will be extremely important, interposed with two super-fast ones, like the long straight in the middle of the course and the final sector in the oval.
It’s difficult to have a circuit more complete than this one; engineers will have a hard work in finding a good compromise to make the car flow on the oval and be well balanced in the slow sections.

Where is it located?

At Merritt, in eastern Columbia Britannica; the town has a small local airport. Kelowna International airport is the closest one around 120km to the West, while Vancouver is around 270km to the East. (+ 50°05’29”, -120°47’54”).