Construction at the Oscar y Juan Galvez Racetrack in Buenos Aires is progressing at a steady pace, with work taking place seven days a week and more than 150 people dedicated to renovating the historic Argentine circuit, which is being revitalid to return to the forefront of international motorsports.
Under the supervision of the City of Buenos Aires government, AUSA, the construction company in charge of the work, is executing the construction plan in coordination with Tilke Engineers & Architects, the firm responsible for the racetrack’s redesign and which has carried out similar projects at circuits around the world that host Formula 1 and MotoGP.
Work began in January of this year with the demolition of the old pit building—built for F1’s last visit to Argentina in 1995—the removal of the existing track, and the demolition of grandstands to allow for the expansion of what will be the circuit’s new layout.
Construction at the Autódromo de Buenos Aires to host MotoGP
Motorsport.com visited the site this week, where work is already underway on the foundations of the new pit structure, which will be 265 meters long and 23 meters wide.
Work is also underway along the entire length of the track to be used by MotoGP, which will have a total length of 4,300 meters. It will feature a 7% bank at Turn 4 and an overall average bank of between 2% and 3%. The total earthwork for the site includes 295,000 m³ of soil movement, of which 140,000 m³ is excavation.
It is estimated that the motorcycles will reach top speeds exceeding 330km/h, with an average lap speed of 185km/h.
Construction at the Buenos Aires Autodrome to Host MotoGP
While construction is progressing ahead of schedule at this stage, this was very well received during the recent visit by Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of MotoGP Sports Entertainment Group, and sporting director, Carlos Ezpeleta, who toured the circuit early last week to check on progress.
The work is expected to be completed in December, which would leave enough time to conduct all necessary testing in preparation for hosting the MotoGP world championship between late March and early April of next year.
Sights Set on Formula 1
While the Oscar y Juan Galvez Autodromo prepares to once again host the World Motorcycle Championship—something that hasn’t happened in Buenos Aires since 1999—all current work is also being coordinated with a potential return of F1 to the Argentine capital.
According to reports, 95% of MotoGP’s requirements align with those of F1. However, the main change would be the extension of the track in the hairpin area, which would bring its length to nearly 5,000 meters. That project is already fully planned and designed to be executed when the time comes. An expansion of the pit building is also planned.
The demo run that Franco Colapinto will hold in April on the streets of Buenos Aires is expected to serve as a gauge of the potential success of hosting a grand prix in the city, and will undoubtedly be a showcase that Buenos Aires authorities will present to F1 officials to demonstrate the potential of a race on Argentine soil.
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