Franco Colapinto has done something for Argentine motorsport that no amount of marketing could replicate: he has made an entire country care about Formula 1 again. Now the country wants a race of its own, and this time there is concrete progress behind the ambition.
A Delegation Is Heading to Miami
A delegation from the Buenos Aires local government and promoter Grupo OSD will travel to the Miami Grand Prix next month for talks with Liberty Media, the commercial rights holder of Formula 1. It is not the first conversation, but it is a significantly more advanced one than any that has taken place before.
The circuit at the centre of the plan is the Autodromo Oscar y Juan Galvez in Buenos Aires, which has hosted Formula 1 in the past and is currently undergoing renovation. It is already scheduled to appear on the MotoGP calendar next year, which gives it a level of infrastructure credibility that strengthens the case for a Formula 1 return.
"This Is No Longer Just an Ambition"
Local politician Fabian Turnes explained to Motorsport.com what the delegation will be presenting. "We meet all the requirements they set for us, across all areas. That applies to the formal aspects and the operational side, which we have developed in cooperation with our advisory group Tilke, who were specifically recommended by Liberty Media." The mention of Tilke, the architectural firm responsible for designing and renovating a significant number of Formula 1 circuits, is a meaningful detail. It suggests the project is being treated seriously at a professional level, not just as a political aspiration.
Turnes was equally clear about how far things have moved since initial contact was made. "Our first meeting with them took place last year in Miami. Since then we have made considerable progress and it is important that we have delivered on the steps we committed to. We can now show something concrete: the circuit is under construction. It is no longer just an ambition."
With Colapinto drawing massive audiences and the sport's commercial operation looking for growth markets in South America, the timing for Argentina's case could hardly be better.
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