Argentine Grand Prix

The Argentine Grand Prix was Formula One Grand Prix motor race. It was held off and on from 1953 to 1998. Argentine president Juan Perón was the driving force behind the creation of the circuit, after seeing the success of the country's own Juan Manuel Fangio.

Argentine Grand Prix

Autódromo Oscar Alfredo Gálvez
Race information
Number of times held	21
First held	1953
Last held	1998
Most wins (drivers)	Juan Manuel Fangio (4)
Most wins (constructors)	Williams (4)
Circuit length	4.259 km (2.646 mi)
Race length	306.648 km (190.542 mi)
Laps	72
Last race (1998)
Pole position
David Coulthard McLaren-Mercedes 1:25.852
Podium
1. Michael Schumacher Ferrari 1:48:36.175 2. Mika Häkkinen McLaren-Mercedes +22.898s 3. Eddie Irvine Ferrari +57.745s
Fastest lap
Alexander Wurz Benetton-Playlife 1:28.179

The circuit was built just outside of Buenos Aires on swampland in 1952.In 1953, the Autodrome hosted the first ever Formula One race held outside Europe. The exile of Perón in 1955 lead to an unstable government. The Argentine Grand Prix left the F1 calendar in 1961 for over a decade.

In 1972 the Argentine Grand Prix returned to the World Championship. Carlos Reutemann became the new homegrown hero. Reutemann took pole position in his world championship debut. He become only the second driver to do this. The Grand Prix remained in Argentina through 1981, but the 1982 event was canceled.

A private group purchased the track in 1991 and began to upgrade it. The modernized Argentine Grand Prix returned in 1995. Because of financial problems, the 1998 race was the last running of the Argentine Grand Prix.