F1 Rumor: Colapinto hype could revive defunct Argentina GP (Update)

(GMM) Argentina’s bid to join the Formula 1 race calendar is gaining momentum.

Two weeks ago, bolstered by improving economic conditions in the country and Italian Franco Colapinto’s meteoric debut (Colapinto is Italian but is a citizen of Argentina), sports minister Daniel Scioli declared that “Argentina is ready for the return of Formula 1”.

It wasn’t just hot air. Scioli told Buenos Aires radio station LR6 Radio Mitre that he has a meeting lined up with F1 owner Liberty Media and the FIA on the Friday of the Brazilian GP in Sao Paulo early next month.

“We have a meeting scheduled in Brazil on the subject of Formula 1,” he said. “On November first, I will be in Sao Paulo with the president of Liberty, who is responsible for organizing these events, and with the president of the FIA.

“Argentina is prepared to bring F1 here, with private investments. We are going to explain why they should come to our country.

“We are going to move forward with this project since we have the conditions to host an event of such global impact and job creation,” Scioli added.

He admits that Argentinean rookie Colapinto’s impressive mid-season debut for Williams has added fuel to the project.

“But for us, Formula 1 goes beyond Colapinto,” he said. “The Buenos Aires race track is being modernized. We are already making progress on the necessary works to meet the requirements.

“Private companies want to cover all the expenses so that this event can come to our country. In addition, there is a strong investment from the city government.”

The bad news for Argentina is that Sauber does not appear interested in Williams boss James Vowles’ suggestion that Colapinto be loaned to the Audi-owned team in 2025 and 2026.

Vowles told Auto Motor und Sport: “If he doesn’t get a place there, I’ll have the best reserve driver in the sport. And we will continue to train him by testing him in old Formula 1 cars and letting him drive in the simulator.”

(GMM) Improving economic conditions and the meteoric debut of Franco Colapinto have breathed new life into Argentina’s Formula 1 aspirations. Colapinto is Italian but races under the Argentina Flag

Backed by a bevy of Argentine sponsors paying about $500,000 per race to Williams, 21-year-old Colapinto recently replaced Logan Sargeant and made an immediate impact on the sport.

And while reports suggest Sauber has selected Valtteri Bottas to be paired with Nico Hulkenberg next year, Williams boss Vowles says he is still discussing potentially loaning Colapinto to the Audi-owned team next year.

“For transparency, we are in conversations to see if that (Audi) is a route for him, where he could be on the grid with them for two years,” Vowles told the Wall Street Journal.

“I’ve learned that the F1 driver situation is never truly settled,” he added. “It’s good for us, we’re signed, but I think next year you’re going to see more movement.”

Former Argentine F1 driver, Miguel Angel Guerra, thinks Colapinto can have a Max Verstappen-like effect but this time within Argentina, which hasn’t been on the Formula 1 calendar since 1998.

“We have an impressive driver now,” he told the iconic Argentine sports magazine El Grafico. “He is the Argentine Verstappen. Any astute team boss should be talking to Colapinto.”

Since Argentina lost its grand prix some 26 years ago, the economic situation in the country has dramatically worsened. However, there are now clear signs of recovery since the election last year of libertarian president Javier Milei.

“Argentina is ready for the return of Formula 1,” declared Daniel Scioli, the Argentine sports minister.

“A grand Prix is a global event,” he added. “It provides jobs, international tourists and foreign currency. The conditions are there for us, as are the private investments that will finance the event.

“Argentines have once again set their sights on the top category of motorsport due to the Colapinto phenomenon,” minister Scioli added. “I have spoken with president Milei about bringing Formula 1 back to Argentina.”