Argentine Alpine driver Franco Colapinto will hold a historic exhibition on Sunday on the streets of Palermo, Buenos Aires, using a 2012 Lotus E20. The city government expects up to 500,000 attendees at the event, marking the return of an F1 car to the city after 14 years. Colapinto greeted waiting fans and expressed his excitement.
Franco Colapinto will star in the first Formula 1 single-seater exhibition on Buenos Aires streets in 14 years this Sunday. The Alpine driver will pilot a 2012 Lotus E20 fitted with a Renault V8 engine and branded with BWT Alpine Formula One Team livery. The car was presented on Friday at the Obelisco.
The schedule features four runs: at 12:45, 14:30, 15:15, and closing at 15:55 in an open-top bus. Buenos Aires city government head Jorge Macri stated: “We are going to live a party with Franco in Palermo, a party of sport and the City. This is one more step for the Formula 1 dream to become a reality in the world's most beautiful city”.
Colapinto greeted fans who waited for him beforehand, saying “See you tomorrow”. The driver also hosted a barbecue for his Alpine team in the lead-up. City officials expect 500,000 attendees and highlighted the chance for people to enjoy, per Macri.
Separately, Alpine edited a video of Colapinto singing a song referencing “Like in the Malvinas prepared for war”, recorded in March before the Japan GP. The team removed the original post after about an hour and uploaded a version omitting that segment, amid tensions over the Falkland Islands' sovereignty.
