The 'Verstappen effect' but for Colapinto: Argentina want to host a GP
F1 News
Franco Colapinto has re-energised Argentina's passion for Formula 1, and the country is looking to capitalise on the hype with its own Grand Prix. The sports minister would like to bring F1 back to Argentina for the first time since 1998 after a lot of Argentine fans were spotted supporting Colapinto in Monza, Baku and Singapore.
Max Verstappen created a lot of motorsport hype in the Netherlands. Since Williams signed Colapinto to replace Logan Sargeant, the same has happened in Argentina. The hype eventually helped form the Dutch Grand Prix, and the sports minister in Argentina wants to do something similar at the Autódromo Oscar Alfredo Gálvez, which has hosted Grand Prix in the past.
Argentina want to host Formula 1
Daniel Scioli, meanwhile, has called for the circuit to be rebuilt to the necessary standards to host F1. "It (a Grand Prix) is a global, big event," Scioli argued, according to newspaper La Agencia de Viajes. "It creates international tourists, bringing foreign currency and jobs."
A small detail: should the Argentine Grand Prix come around again at some point, it is uncertain whether Colapinto will participate in it. The driver has a contract with Williams until the end of the season. After the current year, he will continue (again) as the British team's test and reserve driver.
This article has been created in collaboration with Ludo van Denderen