Argentina has taken another significant step in its campaign to return to the Formula 1 calendar, with President Javier Milei discussing the country’s international motorsport ambitions alongside FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem during the 2026 FIA Americas Congress in Buenos Aires. The meeting comes as interest in Formula 1 has been revitalised across the country by the presence of Franco Colapinto on the grid.
Milei and Ben Sulayem jointly opened the congress in the Argentine capital, where the country’s desire to attract major FIA championships formed part of a wider discussion about the future of motorsport and mobility throughout the Americas. Formula 1 is central to those ambitions, with Argentina continuing to pursue the possibility of bringing a Grand Prix back to Buenos Aires.
Argentina F1 return discussed during FIA congress in Buenos Aires
The three-day event, organised by the Automóvil Club Argentino, brought together representatives from 32 FIA member clubs across North America, Central America, South America and the Caribbean. Discussions extended beyond racing and covered road safety, sustainable and accessible mobility, developments in artificial intelligence and automotive technology, as well as the changing needs of road users.
Another major theme was how motorsport can continue to expand throughout the region while becoming more accessible. Argentina’s presence at the centre of those conversations was particularly relevant given the country’s long-standing racing culture and its continuing effort to bring Formula 1 back to Buenos Aires.
Argentina also has a significant place in the Latin American mobility market, while its motorsport history stretches from five-time Formula 1 world champion Juan Manuel Fangio to current F1 driver Franco Colapinto. Fangio remains one of the country’s defining sporting figures and also became a world champion with Ferrari during his remarkable career.
Javier Milei argues Argentina has what Formula 1 requires
The ambition to host another Formula 1 Grand Prix in Buenos Aires is not new, and Javier Milei used the FIA gathering to reinforce the government’s support for the project. The Argentine president highlighted the contribution made by the Automóvil Club Argentino to national motorsport and described Argentina as a country with an enduring passion for cars and racing.
Milei maintained that Argentina possesses the conditions required to welcome Formula 1 and the World Rally Championship back to the country. He pointed to its racing tradition and its drivers, while arguing that Argentina is now also working to establish the institutional seriousness demanded by major international championships when choosing host nations.
The president therefore presented the 2026 FIA Americas Congress as an opportunity to move the project forward. He encouraged those involved to use the Buenos Aires meeting as an initial step towards a comeback and called for greater momentum in that direction.
Argentina’s effort has already involved a broader push around Buenos Aires, with previous developments focusing on the city’s plans to strengthen its Formula 1 proposal. The latest meeting with the FIA could now represent another important stage before any possible formal negotiations over a future place on the calendar.
Franco Colapinto adds new momentum to Argentina’s Formula 1 interest
The presence of Franco Colapinto in Formula 1 has helped rekindle enthusiasm for the championship in Argentina. That interest has been reinforced by the Argentine driver’s recent contract renewal with Alpine, giving the country a current representative at the highest level of single-seater racing while efforts continue to secure a home Grand Prix.
For Argentina, Colapinto adds a modern dimension to a motorsport identity deeply associated with Fangio. The five-time world champion remains a fundamental part of Formula 1 history, including through his achievements with the Scuderia, which are explored further in our Juan Manuel Fangio archive.
Milei also connected the country’s motorsport ambitions with his broader emphasis on freedom of movement and individual choice. He argued that people should be free to move, compete and build in Argentina, and expressed his desire for the congress to help transform the objective of bringing major international motorsport back to the country into reality.
Mohammed Ben Sulayem supports Argentina’s international motorsport ambitions
FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem also addressed Argentina’s position during the Buenos Aires meeting. He described it as an honour to meet Javier Milei and jointly open the FIA Americas Congress, while emphasising the country’s extensive motorsport heritage and its passionate community of fans, competitors and volunteers.
Ben Sulayem explained that his discussions with the Argentine president included ways to build on that history, provide new opportunities for future generations and support Argentina’s ambition to attract more international motorsport events.
The meeting therefore goes beyond a simple expression of interest in Formula 1. Argentina is attempting to demonstrate both its historical connection with motorsport and its willingness to develop the structures required to host major FIA competitions again. Work connected with a possible Grand Prix comeback has already extended to the Buenos Aires venue, where renovation efforts have accompanied hopes of an F1 return.
What the FIA meeting means for Argentina’s F1 comeback hopes
No Formula 1 Grand Prix has yet been confirmed, and the Buenos Aires discussions do not themselves guarantee Argentina a place on the calendar. However, the country’s ambitions now have visible support at presidential level and have been discussed directly with the head of the FIA during a major international congress hosted on Argentine soil.
With Colapinto maintaining Argentina’s presence on the Formula 1 grid, Milei publicly backing a return and Ben Sulayem acknowledging the country’s desire to attract international motorsport, Buenos Aires has another opportunity to advance its long-running Grand Prix project. The next decisive stage would be whether that political and institutional momentum develops into the formal process required for Formula 1 to return to Argentina.
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