The excitement around Franco Colapinto has sparked renewed interest from the Argentine government in hosting a Formula 1 Grand Prix in Buenos Aires. Daniel Scioli, Secretary of Tourism, Environment, and Sports, will meet with Liberty Media in Brazil to push forward the negotiations.
The Argentine government has been pursuing this goal for many years. In 2012, Cristina Fernández made a grand announcement at the Casa Rosada about bringing the F1 World Championship back to Argentina, with plans to host three consecutive races (2013 to 2015) on a street circuit in Mar del Plata. However, the jetty lacked the necessary 18 meters of width to allow for the two-way track, and the plan fell through. Later, during Mauricio Macri’s presidency, F1 was declared a “management priority,” but nothing materialized. Now, it is Javier Milei’s turn to pursue this goal.
The latest announcement was made by Daniel Scioli during the International Tourism Fair: “I will take charge because I spoke with President Javier Milei about bringing Formula 1 to Argentina. I have no doubt that talks are already underway to bring it to our country, because now we are allowed to think big,” said the former motorsport champion, surprising many within the Secretariat he leads.
Scioli will travel to Brazil during the São Paulo GP weekend to meet with representatives from Liberty Media, the U.S. company that commercially manages F1. He will present the proposal to host an Argentine GP, which was last held in 1998, when Michael Schumacher took the win. “Argentina is ready to bring F1 back through private investments. We will explain why they should come to our country, and highlight the importance of Franco Colapinto,” Scioli said in an interview with Radio Mitre.
Eugenio Breard, president of the Automobile Sports Commission, who will also attend the meeting in Brazil, stated that the plan is aimed at 2027. “If the country continues on this path, the City of Buenos Aires keeps progressing as it is, and the necessary work at the racetrack can be completed, plus the added bonus of having an Argentine driver on the grid, then all the conditions would be met to host a Formula 1 Grand Prix again,” he said on Carburando.
In 2023, renovation work finally began at the racetrack, including resurfacing of all circuits, something that was long overdue. Beyond the racetrack renovations, there is also the matter of the annual fee that must be paid to Formula 1 for hosting a race. The cost of these races is not fixed. For example, the Spanish GP pays $25 million, the same as Austria, Italy, Japan, and Brazil. Meanwhile, the British GP costs $26 million, and the most expensive European races are the Netherlands ($32 million) and Hungary ($40 million).
Argentina has hosted Formula 1 20 times, all in Buenos Aires. The first race was in 1953, with Alberto Ascari winning for Ferrari. Michael Schumacher’s victory for Ferrari on April 12, 1998, marked the last time F1 was held in the country.
CREDITS:
Director: Alejandro Bernal
Text : Max Hackenbroich
