South Dakota Circuit – Timehri

When was the track built?

Opened in 1955, after the Guyana Motor Racing & Sports Club (at the time it was BGMCC, still under the British influence) re-purposed some of the roads and runways of an old airport, it is close to its 70^th year of duty, in which it has hosted national circuit racing and drag racing.
Thanks to its immense and important heritage, and to the support of the new Formula One Organization, it will become part of a massive project that includes restoring the original circuit, a new FIA Grade-1 circuit and an endurance one (8.175m), using connection roads in the jungle around it, both designed by me, that will become the scene for the first Grand Prix and of a 24-hours race, respectively.

When was its first Grand Prix?

It will be the first ever Formula 1 GP in this country.
Guyana has the eighteenth spot in the calendar of the South American Continental Series.

What’s the circuit like?

It combines the super-fast squared original layout with a couple of newly designed more technical sections that exploit the redeveloped areas around it.
The new bits also benefits of challenging elevation changes and banked corners.
The first two sectors are almost entirely full-throttle, with plenty of overtaking spots; having a good amount of horsepower here will be an advantage, especially because the set-ups can’t be too light on aero as the final sector requires great balance and stability.
Both drivers and cars will suffer from temperatures around 30°C and high humidity, as the GP will be held in a normally dry month.

Where is it located?

In Timehri, around 40km south of the capital Georgetown, few hundreds metres outside the gates of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, which is the larger of the two international airports serving it. (+ 6°29’20”, – 58°15’07”)