Colapinto starred in the return of Formula 1 to Argentina with a crowd of more than 500 thousand people

Argentina once again occupied a leading place in international sports with the return of Formula 1 to the streets of the City of Buenos Aires after 14 years of absence, in a massive event that brought together more than 500 thousand people.

The main protagonist was Franco Colapinto, who led a historic Road Show on the street circuit set up in Palermo, between Del Libertador and Sarmiento avenues.

The event, which lasted more than six hours and opened its doors at 8:30am, combined speed, spectacle and a strong imprint of the private sector, with a prominent presence of Mercado Libre, consolidating an international staging. The exhibition became one of the most compelling in the history of Formula 1.

The Road Show in Palermo, on Del Libertador and Sarmiento avenues, offered not only speed and spectacle, but also a strong symbolic charge: the Argentine Air Force, through its Historical Squadron, flew over Libertador Avenue with Beechcraft B-45 Mentor aircraft, forming the Argentine flag in the sky in honor of the exhibition.

In the run-up to a day that was already being projected to be historic, Colapinto made clear the emotional dimension involved in presenting himself to his people. In a conversation with journalist Juan Fossaroli from ESPN, the pilot spontaneously expressed: “It's impressive, it's very well organized. I'm happy that they're all here, I really enjoy it, I get chicken skin,” he laughed, in a phrase that quickly went viral due to his relaxed tone and soccer wink

.

Before getting on the Lotus E20, the Alpine representative elaborated on the personal meaning of the event and its link with the country: “It's a very nice thing, I'm very happy to be here. Going back to Argentina is something I enjoy a lot. And that it's to do such a special event with so many people, with a Fan Zone in Argentina, is something I dreamed of, but I didn't imagine and I didn't think it would come so soon

.”

Throughout the day, Colapinto, 22, made different trips to the track that totaled about 20 minutes. His first appearance came at 12:55 when he boarded the 2012 Lotus E20, equipped with a Renault V8 engine and bearing the BWT Alpine Formula One Team branding. There, he unleashed the euphoria of the public with multiple “donuts”, maneuvers

characteristic of motorsport.

One of the most emotional moments came when the Argentine driver got on the historic Silver Arrow, the legendary car associated with Juan Manuel Fangio, with which the legendary racer won the world championships in 1954 and 1955. With a replica of the “Chueco” helmet and an Argentine flag in his hand, he toured the circuit greeting the

fans.

In his second start with the Lotus E20, the Pilarense showed a pace closer to that of competition: he accelerated at high speed through the avenues of Buenos Aires, combining technical requirements with new “donuts” in specific sectors of the route. In his last performance, he pushed the car to the limit, ending with the exhaust pipes on fire, an image that was recorded among the most shocking moments of the event

.

The closing of the day had a festive and close tone: Colapinto toured the circuit in a mini convertible, where he greeted, signed autographs, took selfies and even went down several times to interact with fans. He also approached the security fences for much of the tour.

The call was massive: more than 500 thousand people attended the event, both in paid and free sectors, and the images of the Road Show toured the world, placing it among the most convening in the history of Formula 1.

In front of an applauding crowd, Franco Colapinto once again highlighted the audience's support: “They are idols. Thank you all for coming, they are bosses. It's crazy, I'm very happy to have come here because it's something I wanted to do a long time ago. Having them all here in a Fan Zone in Argentina is a huge pride”.

Along the same lines, he highlighted the efforts of the attendees who traveled from different parts of the country: “I know that it is a very big effort to come here, on a Sunday, with the traffic that was in the city, with many who came from different provinces. I thank them because it is an enormous pride to have brought them together here. I wanted to bring them a Formula 1 so they can enjoy it, have a very nice day and can live the experience

up close.”

Amid the enthusiasm, the driver also left a message with strategic projection for the country and aligned with the objective of recovering an official date: “Hopefully after this show we can show Formula 1 what we generate and we can bring a Grand Prix to Argentina again soon,” he said, reinforcing the expectation that the impact of the event will have concrete consequences on the international calendar

.

The day was attended by prominent sports and cultural figures, such as Leandro Paredes, Miguel Merentiel, Diego Schwartzman and the music producer Bizarrap, who was close to the pilot. On the artistic level, the event included shows by the City Symphony Orchestra, Soledad Pastorutti and Luck Ra, as well as DJs and big

screens.

This deployment marked the return of the category to the country after the last exhibition in 2012, when the Australian Daniel Ricciardo rode a Red Bull Racing car. Since then, the top flight had not returned to Argentine territory. In the run-up to the event, Colapinto had anticipated the magnitude of the moment: “Driving a Formula 1 car at home is one of the most special moments of my life. It's my way of giving back, even a little bit, all the support and love I received from a very young age.”

The pilot's presence in the country occurred as part of a break in the official calendar due to the suspension of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grand Prix due to the War in the Middle East, which allowed this exhibition to take place.