The Madrid experience serves as a reference for a project that already has works underway in Buenos Aires. The City Government is carrying out a comprehensive renovation of the Oscar and Juan Gálvez Autodrome with a planned investment of 150 million dollars, while the works have already surpassed 60% completion.
Recently, Jorge Macri, head of the City Government, recently presented the modernization plan to Mohammed Ben Sulayem, president of the International Automobile Federation (FIA). The goal is to bring the Villa Soldati venue up to Grade 1 of the FIA, the highest homologation required to host a Formula 1 race.
The return of Formula 1 to Buenos Aires has ceased to be just an intention and has begun to take shape with various international efforts. While Madrid welcomed the top category again after 45 years, a delegation from the City Government took advantage of the Spanish Grand Prix to closely study the Spanish model and advance the project aimed at recovering a date in the World Championship in Argentina.
The Secretary of Sports of Buenos Aires, FabiánTurnes; the president of the Tourism Entity, Valentín Díaz Gilligan; and the head of AUSA, Juan Pablo Fasanella, responsible for theworks at the Oscar and Juan Gálvez Autodrome, held meetings with authorities from the Community and the City Council of Madrid.
During the visit, the officials analyzed various aspects related to the organization of a Grand Prix, from the functioning of the circuit and the works carried out to the economic impact generated by a competition of this magnitude. The agenda also included meetings with representatives of Liberty Media Corporation, owner of the Formula 1 and MotoGP championships.
A delegation from the City of Buenos Aires traveled to Spain to meet with Formula 1 organizers and learn about the experience of the Spanish capital
Turnes explained the reason for the trip and highlighted the similarity with the process that Buenos Aires is undergoing: "We came to learn about the experience of Formula 1 in Madrid. After 45 years, it returns to have a race on a new circuit, which is the experience we will have in Buenos Aires with the return of MotoGP in April next year".
In the same vein, Díaz Gilligan focused on the impact that the race had on the local economy. The official stated that "this is a Grand Prix that has generated almost 500 million dollars for Madrid. Let's think that Miami, the one with the most impact, reached 440 million, so compared it is a significant number". He also highlighted the movement generated by the competition by pointing out that "the city is almost overwhelmed, there are no available places in hotels, restaurants are full, and people are consuming and enjoying".
Macri stated that the transformation seeks more than just recovering an international competition and affirmed: "We are making the most important investment in the history of the City Autodrome. We want Formula 1 to return to Buenos Aires, and that is why we are completely transforming the track and facilities so that the Autodrome meets all the requirements and becomes an icon of Buenos Aires in the world".
With the approval of Grade 1 still pending, the first major challenge for the renovated venue already has a date. In April 2027, MotoGP will return to Buenos Aires after 28 years, in a competition that will also serve as a test for the new project. In parallel, the City will continue with the necessary efforts to try to ensure that the next step is even greater.
The new layout of the Oscar and Juan Gálvez Racetrack
The projected circuit will have 4.87 kilometers, 15 curves, and estimated maximum speeds of up to 340 kilometers per hour. Additionally, the complex will be prepared to accommodate more than 150,000 spectators and will be, once the works are completed, the only Argentine track with the potential to meet the necessary requirements to aspire to a Formula 1 date.
It is worth remembering that the top category has not raced in Buenos Aires since 1998, when Michael Schumacher won with Ferrari at the Gálvez. Almost three decades later, the return of MotoGP, the remodeling of the autodrome, and the contacts with the FIA, Liberty Media, and the organizers in Madrid are part of the same strategy: to place Buenos Aires back among the leading cities in world motorsport.
