The Argentine Grand Prix, hosted at the Autódromo Oscar y Juan Gálvez near Buenos Aires, was a part of the Formula 1 calendar from 1953 to 1998. The Buenos Aires Grand Prix actually dates back to 1930, even before Formula 1 existed, at other tracks prior to this one being built.
The SBMRL has raced there only once, back in January 2019, over 5 years ago, with Whiplash of Sprite Racing taking the victory.
The start-finish line of the circuit is right in the middle of a very long straight, which leads in the gentle right hand bend of Curva Numero Uno. This can be taken at speed and likely won’t slow too many cars down on the first lap. There is an advantage to being at the front of the grid here, but it likely won’t be a deciding factor in the race. The second corner, Curva de la Confiteria is similarly forgiving, and expect the cars to take it at speed. The key point of the first sector is undoubtedly the third corner. It’s short and depending on how the previous corner went, this one might catch some cars out.
That third corner is absolutely critical because if hit right, Curvon can be taken at the speed needed to really fly down the next straight. It’s much longer than it looks and only the pit straight is longer. Curva De Ascari shouldn’t require much braking. If anyone is slowing down here they’ll be struggling to catch up. The Entrada a los Mixtos hairpin takes the field back inside the general track layout and begins the slowest section of the track.
Coming out of Entrada a los Mixtos at speed is of no benefit, so it’s here that the field will really slow down. Vibratoria is a chicane that is perfectly manageable, but drivers will want to get themselves set up for Curva del Ombu and the following straight. It’s long enough to get some speed going again, although that speed will need to be scrubbed off for the Senna “S”. The Senna “S” is a classic slow in fast out corner and this is the place on the track most likely to tax a gear box as it shifts back down. There’s a decently long straight coming out of it before the final turn, Horquilla, and given the length of the pit straight, you do want to be as fast through there as possible. It’s also worth noting that the pit entry is fairly far along.
Buenos Aires has a tremendous mix of high speed bends, slow corners, and rhythm sections that will test the drivers’ ability to manage all of that. Engines will be pushed to their limits, cars will get bunched at times, but there will also be big opportunities to get ahead or fall far behind.
Starting Grid
The starting grid is reverse order of the current standings. With Felix and Mai currently tied at 25 points each, they will start in reverse order of finish at the previous race. Since Mai was 2nd and Felix was 3rd, Felix gets the higher grid position.
- Parker Lacroix (SB)
- Orzo Albies (MnS)
- Liu S. Amil X (FP)
- Ramen Acuna Jr (MnS)
- Felix (SM)
- Mai “Cashew” Maghur (FP)
- Max (SM)
- Magnus Rasksen (SB)
- Stoot van Vaart (RM)
- Pieter Pieperpoes (RM)
Pit selection will be in order of team standings.
- Regency Motors
- Scandinavian Blitz
- Switch Motorsports
- Fir Splays
- Mac ‘N Speed
Race Outlook
There’s a lot at stake in Argentina. After 3 races, there are a lot of drivers within just a few points of each other. This is most notable right in the middle of the driver standings. Max is currently in 4th place with 26 points. Felix and Mai are just one point behind Max at 25, and Ramen has 24 points to be just 1 point behind them.
While Regency Motors currently sports a fairly commanding lead in the team standings, only 10 points separates the other 4 teams. That’s a deficit that can easily be made up in a single race. All the teams, however, will be looking to make a dent into the front runners. With 1/3 of the season in the books, there’s still plenty of time to catch up, and whoever comes out the best here will be the primary challenger. Particularly if Regency Motors struggles from the back of the grid.