F1
Franco Colapinto ignites Buenos Aires in front of 600,000 fans
© Alpine F1 Team
This Sunday, April 26, the Formula 1 has made a spectacular return to Argentina, spearheaded by Franco Colapinto. At an event organized by the French team's sponsor, Mercado Libre, nearly 600,000 spectators gathered around the Monumento de los Españoles and along Avenida del Liberator. Behind the wheel of the 2012 Lotus E20, the Argentinian driver performed a series of high-speed runs on a two-kilometer track, punctuated by burnouts and donuts. The event, conceived as a demonstration, quickly grew into something much larger given the sheer number of spectators and the intensity of the public's enthusiasm.
Beyond the spectacle, the symbolic significance is powerful. Franco Colapinto became the first Argentinian to drive a Formula 1 car on the streets of Buenos Aires, in a country marked by the legacy of Juan Manuel Fangio. The presence of a replica of the Mercedes BenzThe Benz W196, driven by the five-time world champion in the 1950s, strengthened this link between generations. Originally from Pilar, the driver Alpine built his career abroad, from karting from Spain to promotional campaigns in Europe. This return to his homeland gives a special dimension to his journey, reconnecting his international rise with his original audience.
"It's so special."
At the end of the demonstration, the pilot emphasized the importance of the moment. "Wow! What an incredible feeling to be able to drive on my home turf and, above all, to share this with so many passionate fans! It's so special to drive a Formula 1 car through the streets of Buenos Aires; it's undoubtedly one of the best days of my life. The love the fans showed me was simply extraordinary. This event is dedicated to them, and I hope they felt the same emotions I did. I want to warmly thank each and every one of them for being there, the magnificent city of Buenos Aires, Mercado Libre, all the partners who participated in the event, and my friends and colleagues at BWT." Alpine Thanks to the Formula One Team for their invaluable help in organizing this demonstration. And now, it's off to Miami to get back to racing! This sequence marks an important milestone in his career.
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- Alpine F1 Team
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- Alpine F1 Team
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- Alpine F1 Team
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- Alpine F1 Team
Beyond the emotion, the event's popular success sends a clear message. In a country absent from the calendar for several years, the Buenos Aires demonstration serves as a reminder of Argentina's potential to once again host Formula 1, driven by a new generation embodied by Colapinto. The Argentinian driver will return to a real circuit this weekend for the Miami Grand Prix, from May 1st to 3rd.
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Alain Féguenne (🇱🇺 Luxembourg)
29/04/2026 at 03:40 a.m.
Yves-Henri, you're a walking encyclopedia of information... Hats off to you 🧢, as Niki would have said... you're simply incredible!!!!! 😎👍 alainkf1@pt.lu
Yves-Henri RANDIER
28/04/2026 at 05:51 a.m.
600.000 spectators gathered around the Monumento de los Españoles and along the Avenida del Libertador in the very beautiful Palermo district, this is not surprising: Argentinians love motor sport (Buenos Aires already hosted Formula E in its streets in February 2017), the chosen place (for those who know) is a very long and wide avenue with a double carriageway of 4 lanes, the demonstration was free, which also explains such a popular crowd. As for imagining such attendance at the Argentine F1 Grand Prix on the renovated Autódromo Juan y Oscar Gálvez, doubts arise: under Javier Miléi's leadership, the poverty rate soared from 41,7% in the second half of 2023 to 52,9% in the first half of 2024 before falling, according to a new methodology, to 28,2% in the second half of 2025. That's still a lot of people who can't afford to attend the Liberty Media Grand Prix!