(Motorsport-Total.com) – Argentina has been missing from the Formula 1 calendar for almost 30 years, but on Sunday, Buenos Aires attracted more spectators in a single day than is usually seen at many Grands Prix – all eager to see Franco Colapinto in action.
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The 22-year-old has become a national sensation since making his Formula 1 debut with Williams in mid-2024, before moving to Alpine for 2025. He conquered the streets in the 2012 Lotus E20, powered by a Renault V8 engine – the same package with which Kimi Räikkönen won in Abu Dhabi that year.
The venue, to the delight of the hundreds of thousands present, was a specially constructed street circuit in Palermo, one of the city’s most picturesque districts. Colapinto completed two runs of about 15 minutes each in the Lotus, which wore Alpine’s current colors.
He ensured the crowd got the full experience, unleashing the roar of the V8 along Avenida Libertador and performing donuts in every sector of the track. Just as he had promised before, the finale came with a car literally going up in smoke after spinning continuously at full engine speed for over a minute.
The event also bridged the gap between the present and past of Formula 1 and Argentina’s own history in the sport, as Colapinto drove a replica of the Mercedes W196 – the car with which Juan Manuel Fangio won the World Championship in 1954 and 1955.
The Argentinian got out of the Silver Arrow at various points on the track to greet the fans, determined to personally acknowledge as many as possible. Colapinto also used the opportunity to send a message to Formula 1 in front of the huge crowd in Buenos Aires.
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“I love Argentinians. We are the best fans in the world and it’s great to show that, because we are proving to Formula 1 that we deserve to return to the calendar and that we deserve to have a race again,” he says.
“It was a great day. Honestly, I enjoyed it so much personally – it’s a dream come true. I’m very happy about the day we had today and about enjoying it with everyone, with all my people who have supported me for so long.”
Colapinto’s comments about a possible return of Formula 1 to Argentina were no coincidence, as he visited the Autodromo Oscar y Juan Galvez earlier in the week. The facility is currently being modernized to host MotoGP from early 2027.
The ultimate goal, however, is to bring Formula 1 back to the country, which has not hosted a Grand Prix since 1998. While discussions with championship officials are still in an early stage, Sunday’s images – along with Colapinto’s message – are sure to find their way to Formula 1 boss Stefano Domenicali.
Who knows, maybe the next time he drives a Formula 1 car on home soil, it will be as part of a Grand Prix.
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