(Motorsport-Total.com) – FIA President Mohammed bin Sulayem met with Argentine President Javier Milei in Buenos Aires to discuss Argentina’s return to the Formula 1 calendar. In an interview with the national news channel A24, he expressed his support for the plans.
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“I will support the initiative to hold a Formula 1 race or the World Rally Championship here in Argentina,” emphasizes Sulayem, who was a guest at the FIA American Congress in the Argentine capital.
“I am very grateful that the president is participating in the conference. That shows how much the country is willing to support these important tasks,” he says. “The meeting was about how we can expand motorsport and bring major international competitions back to Argentina.”
According to Sulayem, Argentina deserves to be part of the Formula 1 calendar again after 1998: “They have history, they have a great tradition; the first race took place here in 1953,” he emphasizes. “The rally started in 1980, that is a big deal.”
What happened to old Formula 1 tracks?
But whether a country deserves it and whether a race is feasible are two different things. “Aside from the emotional aspect, there is also a rational side to designing the F1 calendar,” Sulayem knows.
First, a spot in the calendar must become available, which is bursting at the seams. “If Argentina is added, another must be removed,” he says. “There is a process that must be followed. There is a business plan and a limited number of starting spots.”
In addition, places must be found “where races can be held sustainably, where the will, the investments, the fans, and the support of the government are present to implement it,” says the FIA president.
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Head of State: “We have absolutely everything”
The plans should not fail due to the will of the Argentine government: “We have the tradition, we have the drivers, and we are now regaining the institutional credibility that these racing series require before a country is selected,” emphasizes President Milei. “We have absolutely everything.”
What happened to old Formula 1 tracks? (2)
“It is time to go full throttle in this regard. Let us move forward at full speed together to make this dream come true. We want to see Colapinto race again in his own country.”
The Argentine Grand Prix took place a total of 21 times between 1953 and 1998 at the Autodromo Oscar y Juan Galvez in Buenos Aires, using four different layouts. The record winner is local hero Juan Manuel Fangio, who won the race four times in a row from 1954 to 1957.
Most extensive investment in track history
The circuit is currently being renovated to host MotoGP next year. Work began in January of this year on a completely new pit building as well as a redesigned track layout. With a view to a potential Formula 1 return, an additional track extension was created, lengthening the course from 4.3 to 4.87 kilometers.
The project, which is 60 percent complete, represents an investment of 150 million dollars and is the largest in the entire history of the race track. After completion, the circuit is expected to accommodate over 150,000 fans.
“We are making the most significant investment in the history of the Autodromo de la Ciudad,” says government chief Jorge Macri. “We dream of the return of Formula 1, which is why we are completely redesigning the track and facilities so that they meet all requirements and become a flagship of Buenos Aires on the world stage.”
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