Last Updated on April 23 2026, 10:36 am
Franco Colapinto visits Buenos Aires circuit redevelopment – Argentine F1 driver Franco Colapinto took a step closer to his dream of racing a Formula 1 car on home soil when he visited the redevelopment works at the iconic Autódromo Oscar y Juan Gálvez in Buenos Aires.
The 22-year-old, who was born in the Argentine capital, toured the construction site with city officials while he was back in the country for his much-awaited exhibition event in Palermo. The visit gave Colapinto the opportunity to see the ambitious project aimed at restoring the venue to world-class status for himself, with the hope of hosting both MotoGP and, potentially, Formula 1 in the future.
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City officials outline bold motorsport ambitions
Colapinto was welcomed by Buenos Aires Mayor Jorge Macri, who showed him the latest developments, including updated plans and track redesigns. The renovation is part of a broader strategy to make the circuit one of the most modern in South America.
The city has confirmed that MotoGP will return to the Gálvez circuit in 2027, ending a 28-year absence. This announcement coincides with Buenos Aires being named a global capital of sport, while efforts are underway to bring Formula 1 back to the historic venue.
During the visit, Macri emphasised both Colapinto’s growing popularity and the nation’s enduring passion for motorsport. He suggested that the turnout for the driver’s upcoming exhibition could rival—or even surpass—attendance figures seen at Formula 1 race weekends elsewhere in the world.
Senior officials, including Chief of Staff Gabriel Sánchez Zinny, Sports Secretary Fabián Turnes and Legislator Darío Nieto, were also present. During the visit, Colapinto was recognised as a “Distinguished Personality of the City” in sport.
A homegrown star, he is driving national excitement.
Colapinto’s rapid rise through the motorsport ranks has made him one of Argentina’s most exciting prospects in years. His presence alone has reignited hopes of seeing a Formula 1 race return to Buenos Aires, a city with deep historical ties to the sport.
Turnes emphasised this ambition, stating that bringing Formula 1 back remains a key objective. He described sport as central to the city’s identity, pointing to Colapinto as a symbol of this vision and a source of inspiration for a new generation of athletes.
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The Colapinto Road Show is set to draw huge crowds
The excitement will peak this weekend with the “Colapinto Road Show”, a major demonstration event organised partly by the city. This will be the first Formula 1-style exhibition in Buenos Aires since Daniel Ricciardo performed a similar run in 2012.
Taking place on a temporary street circuit in Palermo, the event will see Colapinto drive along Avenida del Libertador and Avenida Sarmiento, passing notable landmarks such as the Monument to the Spanish. Spectators will be able to access the circuit from early morning, and organisers are encouraging the use of public transport due to the expected large crowds.
Fan Zones at Plaza Seber and Plaza Sicilia will feature giant screens, live entertainment, DJs and a performance by the city’s symphony orchestra. Food trucks and various other attractions are also planned, turning the exhibition into a full-scale motorsport festival.
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Transforming the Gálvez into a world-class venue
The redevelopment of the Autódromo began earlier this year with the demolition of outdated infrastructure. Construction has since progressed to key structural elements, including new pit buildings designed to meet the highest international standards.
The project aims to secure homologation from governing bodies such as the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) and the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM), which would enable the venue to host premier competitions such as Formula 1 and MotoGP.
Planned upgrades include track modifications featuring straights of up to 900 metres, enhanced safety systems, increased spectator capacity and improved access routes. Once construction is completed in December, the circuit will undergo a series of tests ahead of its return to the international racing calendar.
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A vision of Formula 1 returning to Argentina
Although Formula 1’s return to Buenos Aires has not yet been confirmed, the combination of infrastructure investment and growing local enthusiasm is making a strong case for it. Colapinto’s visit has added further momentum, symbolising the city’s ambition to host a Grand Prix in the future.
For now, all eyes will be on Palermo this weekend, where thousands are expected to catch a glimpse of what the future could hold.
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NEXT ARTICLE – The obsession behind F1’s rule ‘tweaks’
Formula One claims it has acted swiftly and decisively to change the 2026 rules which have proven so far to be a farce. Firstly, as a matter of safety, F1 and the FIA needed to act to prevent the horrendous closing speeds which have been visible between cars who are deploying electrical boost and others who are harvesting energy.
Last time out in Japan, Haas F1 driver Oliver Bearman was blasting through the right-hander on the approach to Spoon when he came upon the dawdling Alpine of Franco Colapinto who was storing up electrical energy. The result being the Haas F1 driver ended up in the wall and suffered a massive 50g impact. While he was helped away limping, fortunately the British driver suffered no broken bones.
To prevent this, it has been agreed that in ‘non-hard’ accelerating zones, the maximum deployment from the car will be cut from 350kW to 250kW. Where the full amount of power will be available is out of a corner onto a straight, but in the case of Bearman in Suzuka on the entrance to Spoon corner, he would have had just under a third less electrical boost which may have mitigated the incident.
The obsession with absolute speed
The headline number which will disappoint some of the engine manufacturers is that the maximum charge which can be recovered across a single lap is being reduced from 8MJ to 7MJ. This will add around a second of lap time, a matter which F1 appears pretty concerned about for some reason. A far safer and better solution would have been to cut this number by another 1MJ to 6MJ, which would see the drivers run for most of the lap without resorting to strange energy recovery tactics.
Yet despite no TV viewer or most spectators at the circuit being able to detect a two-second-a-lap slower F1 car, F1 stats appear important to the commercial rights holder and the regulator of the sport. At the recent Goodwood event some of the most exciting racing was between Mini’s and Escort 2000’s. It’s not the matter of absolute speed that F1 should obsess about, but the excitement in the racing. That said, the new 7MJ will mean less lift and coast from the drivers and more attacking into the apex of the turns.
One of the most farcical elements of the current set of regulations is the sight of a car hurtling down the straight, only to seem to lose power with hundreds of metres to go. This is not merely due to…CONTINUE READING THIS STORY
Clara Marlowe has worked in motorsport journalism for over 15 years, writing features for established sports magazines and online outlets. With formal training in journalism and a reputation for human-interest storytelling, she highlights the often-overlooked figures behind Formula 1’s success.
