F1 exhibition on the cards for Guyana within a year

In what would be a historic milestone for motorsport in Guyana, plans are officially underway to bring a Formula 1 exhibition event to the country within the next year.

Silvia Bermúdez, a member of the organising team for the GT Challenge de las Américas, made the exciting revelation to News Room Sport.

While the definitive details and modalities are still being finalised, she indicated that the massive success of the Guyana Grand Prix—which recently hosted the third leg of the GT3 series—will be a major factor in successfully bringing both an F1 driver and a car to local shores.

“We are very happy to be here… all of the teams are happy to be here,” Bermúdez expressed. “We have the commitment to be here for five years, and the public will have a better experience every year.”

The vision aligns with a broader plan to continuously elevate the South Dakota Circuit. Bermúdez noted that collaborations with the government and the Guyana Motor Racing & Sports Club are focused on diversifying the action at the venue.

“According to the plan with the President, it is to have more content for South Dakota Circuit, and not just GT3. We can bring some other content, and we talk about having an F1 exhibition for Guyana,” she related.

“We are working on it; it will be in one year. We are working with some drivers around the world, and obviously, this event [the Guyana Grand Prix] will be key in them deciding to come. It will be an exhibition, but to have an F1 car here, it will be amazing.”

While the prospect of F1 machinery roaring in Guyana has ignited immense excitement, Guyana Motor Racing & Sports Club (GMR&SC) President Mohamad Shairaz Roshandin emphasised that safety and infrastructure upgrades remain the immediate priority before expanding to other disciplines.

“We still have a lot of fencing work to do, to lock down the facility,” Roshandin indicated. “So we want to put in all the necessary fencing so the place can be protected, and then we will start moving forward with different types of racing.”

Roshandin was quick to clarify that the F1 project would not be a simple track run but a fully fledged entertainment spectacle.

“Yes, it will be an exhibition. We will bring down one car, and it will come with a show. It is not just one car driving, and that is it; it will be a show and something for Guyanese to get that in their home country.”

An F1 demonstration of this scale is not entirely new to the Caribbean. Back in 2016, seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton graced Barbados for the Barbados Festival of Speed.

During that event, Hamilton was the star attraction at the Bushy Park Circuit, turning laps in a V8-powered 2013 Mercedes F1 car.

He thrilled the massive crowd with high-octane burnouts before going head-to-head against British Superbike Championship racer Stuart Easton on a race-spec Yamaha R1M.

In a nod to his roots, Hamilton also hopped into a go-kart to race against young local karters from the Barbados Karting Association.

A similar high-energy showcase is what local organisers hope to replicate at the South Dakota Circuit.

Reflecting on the recently concluded GT3 event on July 12, Roshandin expressed immense gratitude for the overwhelming fan support.

He highlighted that patrons were highly impressed by the magnitude of work completed in such a short timeframe—a feat made possible through strong backing from both the Government of Guyana and the private sector.