Formula One: Milei urges Argentina return after 30 years

Argentine President Javier Milei has appealed to the International Automobile Federation for Formula One to return to Argentina after nearly 30 years away.

Milei made the call on Monday during the FIA's American Congress in Buenos Aires. He said Argentina had the racing tradition, drivers and “institutional seriousness” needed to host F1 races again.

The last Argentine Grand Prix was held in 1998 in Buenos Aires, where about 20 Formula One Grand Prix races have been held since the 1950s. Argentine driver Juan Manuel Fangio won five world championships between 1951 and 1957.

Milei also said he wanted to see Argentine Alpine driver Franco Colapinto race in the country. Organizers said Colapinto drew nearly half a million people to an exhibition race in Buenos Aires last April.

The Oscar and Juan Galvez Circuit in Buenos Aires is being renovated in a $100 million project that includes a new track and new grandstands for motorcycle Grand Prix and Formula One races, according to city officials. The work is expected to continue until early 2027.