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Argentina’s president Javier Milei says the country is ready to host the Formula 1 world championship again, reviving the prospect of a return to the calendar after more than two decades away.
Milei made the claim while opening the FIA American Congress in Buenos Aires, where he highlighted the country’s motorsport tradition and its enduring enthusiasm for cars and racing.
“The Automovil Club Argentino has made an enormous contribution to national motorsport, and Argentina is a country that loves cars,” Milei said. “The Argentine passion for racing is timeless.”
He then issued a direct invitation to imagine Formula 1 returning alongside the World Rally Championship.
“Argentina has all the conditions necessary to once again welcome Formula One and the World Rally Championship onto its calendar,” Milei said. “We have the tradition. We have the drivers. And now we are once again developing the institutional seriousness that these categories demand before choosing a country. We have absolutely everything.”
Argentina’s current link to Formula 1 is led by Franco Colapinto, who became the country’s first driver in the championship since 2001 when he joined the series two years ago. Alpine recently extended his contract, allowing him to drive for the team again next year.
Colapinto’s popularity has provided a clear measure of the country’s appetite for top-level single-seater racing. When he performed a demonstration run in Buenos Aires in April, hundreds of thousands of fans turned out.
His profile has also featured prominently in recent discussions around FIA officiating. Last week, the governing body condemned abuse directed at its stewards after Colapinto supporters inundated social media with complaints over two penalties issued at the previous round. The FIA did not identify Colapinto by name. Alpine retains Franco Colapinto for the 2027 F1 season
Argentina last hosted the world championship in 1998. The country’s Formula 1 history began in the 1950s, when Juan Manuel Fangio won his home grand prix four times on his way to claiming a then-record five world championship titles.
All 20 Argentine grands prix were held at the Autodromo de Buenos Aires Oscar y Juan Galvez. A proposal to redevelop the circuit and bring it up to Formula 1 standards emerged in 2017, but it did not proceed.
Milei’s comments therefore represent an invitation rather than a confirmed race project. Any return would still require the conditions he referenced to translate into a viable venue and calendar agreement.
He’s a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.