Colapinto's F1 Road Show set for Buenos Aires
- Franco Colapinto drove Alpine’s Formula 1 road show into Buenos Aires on Sunday, taking a 2012 Lotus E20 in Alpine colors onto a 2-kilometer Palermo street circuit for a public exhibition. - City officials scheduled four appearances starting at 12:45 p.m., including two runs in the V8-powered Formula 1 car, a lap in Juan Manuel Fangio’s “Silver Arrow,” and a bus parade. - The event brought Formula 1 back to Buenos Aires streets after 14 years, with major road closures around Palermo and tickets selling out quickly. (formula1.com) (buenosaires.gob.ar)
Franco Colapinto took a Formula 1 car onto the streets of Buenos Aires on Sunday, turning Palermo into a temporary race circuit for Alpine’s road show. (formula1.com) (alpinef1.com) The Argentine driver was scheduled to drive the 2012 Lotus E20, fitted with a Renault V8 and repainted in Alpine livery, on a 2-kilometer route along Avenida del Libertador and Avenida Sarmiento. (formula1.com) (alpinef1.com) Buenos Aires city officials said spectators could enter the viewing areas from 8:30 a.m., with the first Formula 1 run set for 12:45 p.m. in Plaza Seeber and Plaza Sicilia. (buenosaires.gob.ar) (lanacion.com.ar) The city’s published schedule listed four appearances by Colapinto: the opening E20 run at 12:45 p.m., a 2:30 p.m. lap in Fangio’s “Silver Arrow,” another Lotus run at 3:15 p.m., and a 3:55 p.m. open-top bus pass. (buenosaires.gob.ar) (lanacion.com.ar) Formula 1’s own announcement said Colapinto would become the first Argentine to drive an F1 car on the streets of Buenos Aires. The event also returned the category to the city after a 14-year absence, according to Buenos Aires officials. (formula1.com) (buenosaires.gob.ar) Demand was high before Sunday. La Nación reported that the paid tickets sold out within minutes, leaving free public viewing areas as the main option for fans without passes. (lanacion.com.ar) The road show also came with a large traffic and security operation. Infobae reported that road closures began on Wednesday, April 22, and expanded through Sunday across key Palermo arteries including Sarmiento, Libertador, Iraola, and nearby access points. (infobae.com) City officials said camping and street vending were banned around the event zone, while giant screens were installed at intersections including Libertador and Casares, Libertador and Cavia, and Figueroa Alcorta and Sarmiento near the Planetarium. (buenosaires.gob.ar) (infobae.com) Colapinto said before the event that driving an F1 car at home would be “one of the most special moments” of his life. On Sunday, Buenos Aires gave him the stage he had described. (formula1.com)
