Massive crowds pack Palermo as Colapinto's F1 road show thrills families in central Buenos Aires

Franco Colapinto drove a Formula 1 road show through Palermo on April 26, drawing massive crowds to central Buenos Aires for the city’s biggest motor-racing spectacle in years. (motorsport.com) (clarin.com) Local coverage and Motorsport.com said the event drew more than 500,000 people, with some reports putting the crowd at 600,000. Colapinto, 22, drove a Lotus E20 from 2012 in Alpine colors and also took out a replica of Juan Manuel Fangio’s Mercedes-Benz W196. (motorsport.com) (clarin.com) (infobae.com) The city scheduled six hours of programming from 8:30 a.m., with giant screens, fan areas and multiple on-track appearances along Avenida del Libertador between Bullrich and Casares. Buenos Aires officials said the road show marked Formula 1’s return to the city after 14 years. (buenosaires.gob.ar 1) (buenosaires.gob.ar 2) (infobae.com) The road show was not a Grand Prix. It was a controlled exhibition on public streets, built to let fans watch an F1 car up close and to show visiting stakeholders that Buenos Aires can stage a modern city-center event. (formula1.com) (lanacion.com.ar) That larger pitch has been building for weeks. La Nacion reported before the event that organizers viewed Palermo as a test of operations and security before presenting work at the Oscar y Juan Gálvez circuit during the Miami Grand Prix weekend. (lanacion.com.ar) Colapinto’s own rise helps explain the turnout. Formula 1’s official site says he became Alpine’s full-time driver for 2026 after returning to the grid in 2025, making him Argentina’s most visible F1 racer in a generation. (formula1.com 1) (formula1.com 2) The city expanded the Palermo circuit before race day and imposed rolling closures from April 22 through April 26, including restrictions around Libertador, Sarmiento and Iraola. Officials opened free viewing areas and paid sections including grandstands, fan zones and hospitality. (buenosaires.gob.ar) (buenosaires.gob.ar) (buenosaires.gob.ar) By late afternoon, the images from Palermo looked less like a promotional stop than a referendum on demand. If Formula 1 returns to Argentina, Sunday gave backers their loudest visual argument yet. (motorsport.com) (clarin.com)