Argentina's Sports Minister Daniel Scioli has called for renovations to the Autódromo Oscar Alfredo Gálvez Grand Prix circuit to meet current standards for hosting a Formula 1 race. This request comes in light of the growing popularity of F1 in Argentina, particularly following the announcement that Argentine driver Franco Colapinto will be driving for the Williams F1 team for the rest of the 2024 season.
Formula 1 hasn't returned to Argentina since 1998, but after looking at the kind of backing Colapinto received from fans during the Italian, Azerbaijan, and Singapore Grands Prix, Scioli is serious about the country's F1 prospects.
Colapinto replaced an underperforming Logan Sargeant at Williams after team principal James Vowles took a bold call to refresh the driver lineup mid-season. However, the crucial swap seems to have worked well for the Grove outfit, considering that the 21-year-old driver has already scored 4 points in the last three races, an impressive feat to achieve in the initial stages of a Formula 1 debut run.
The new Williams driver seems to have mirrored Red Bull's Max Verstappen in boosting the sport's popularity in his home country. The Dutchman's success in Formula 1 ensured the Dutch Grand Prix found a spot on the sport's calendar. Speaking to the newspaper La Agencia de Viajes, as reported by GPBlog.com, the Argentine minister said about bringing back F1 to his country:
"It (a Grand Prix) is a global, big event.
"It creates international tourists, bringing foreign currency and jobs."
While Argentina and F1 stand to gain from a partnership, thanks to Colapinto, the junior driver's seat at Williams is only temporary. For the 2025 season, Ferrari's Carlos Sainz is set to replace Colapinto, leaving him on the sidelines until another opportunity arises.
Colapinto's influence also extends to the team's sponsors, as several Argentinian businesses expressed interest in having their branding on the Williams FW46 F1 car. Responding to speculation that Colapinto had paid for the racing opportunity, Vowles told the media:
"What I'll make very clear to everyone here is no sponsorship was linked to signing him.
"Actually, we signed him at the point of not knowing anything in future.
"What then transpired, and it hasn't finished yet, the phone is still ringing off the hook, is a number of Argentine companies, of which there are many, are calling, and they're paying market rate for stickers on the car fundamentally.
"So it's nothing related to Franco, they want to be part of the journey and part of the journey beyond 2024, just to be clear as well, or I hope many will, we'll see where we end up."
