Buenos Aires

The Autodromo October 17 (celebrating the date of President Peron’s accession to power) was built within the city limits of Buenos Aires and opened on March 9 1952. It boasted 12 circuit variations and not content with these, sports car races combined parts of the Autodrome with the public roads outside. Boosted by Juan Manuel Fangio’s successes in Europe, the circuit hosted the first World Championship Grand Prix outside of Europe in 1953. The race was marred, however, when Giuseppe Farina crashed into the crowd, claiming the lives of nine spectators. The end of Peron’s era in power in Argentina prompted the circuit to be renamed after local driver Oscar Galvez. After more than a decade without international racing, Buenos Aires became a mainstay of the Formula 1 and World Sportscar Championship calendars during the 1970s. However, further political upheaval and the 1982 Falklands War again drove international racing away until 1995. The Grand Prix returned to the overly tight Circuit Number 6 that year but it disappeared from the roster of championship events once more after four years.