Argentina Grand Prix return talks held amid ‘disruptive’ Colapinto F1 2024 impact
Franco Colapinto has become one of Argentina's biggest sporting stars since his arrival in Formula 1.
Delegates have met with F1 chief Stefano Domenicali over the return of the Argentina Grand Prix, potentially as soon as the F1 2027 or F1 2028 seasons.
Williams star Franco Colapinto has made a significant impact since making his debut in F1 2024, with the Pilar-born driver attracting a huge amount of support at recent rounds in Brazil and Mexico.
Argentina Grand Prix to return after Franco Colapinto ‘disruption’?
Argentina hosted a grand prix 21 times before between 1953 and 1998, with five-time World Champion and F legend Juan Manuel Fangio winning his home race on four separate occasions.
Exploratory talks took place in Brazil last week between Domenicali and Cesar Carman, president of the Automovil Club Argentino, and Argentina’s secretary of tourism, environment and sports, Daniel Scioli.
With demand higher than ever to host grands prix and no space currently available, the nation would have to wait for contracts to expire before finding a place on the calendar, with known interest from South Africa and Rwanda in staging a race, and Spanish capital Madrid already contracted to join the schedule in F1 2026.
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With the initial plan set to be to return to the Autodromo de Buenos Aires, both Scioli and Carman acknowledge there will be significant work required to bring the track up to FIA Grade 1 certification, a requirement to host F1 races, with private investment said to be secured to help do so.
They both added Colapinto’s introduction to Formula 1 has helped bring further interest to the sport in Argentina, with his profile having risen exponentially since he joined Williams to replace Logan Sargeant.
“Stefano is a great man and really we appreciate a lot this conversation,” Scioli told Italian publication formu1a.uno.
“It was very positive. What Franco is doing, not only in the circuit but outside, is great. We will study this very carefully. We will have private investment.”
“Stefano was very nice with us,” Carman added.
“He says that he would really like to have another grand prix, but it’s going to take a lot of work from us and we need to start working – and we have to do a lot of things.
“We have to improve the racetrack. We have to take it to Grade 1. As I said we have to do a lot of things, but we are very optimistic. I don’t want to give dates, because I don’t know, but I think 2027-28 is more realistic.
“I think that a lot of things are happening because of Franco.
“Franco has a disruptive effect on us, on Argentina, and the Argentine fans are very enthusiastic about having Franco racing in Argentina again.
“So everything is joined. Things are aligning. It’s like a dream.”
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