Argentina looks set to replace Korea on the 2013 formula one calendar.

That is the claim of Italy’s Autosprint magazine, reporting that the Argentinean national government will sign a three-year contract next month.

President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner said last month that the 2013 Argentine grand prix, last held at the ageing Autodromo Oscar Alfredo Galvez in Buenos Aires in 1998, will take place on the streets of the coastal city of Mar del Plata.

Autosprint now quotes Argentine tourism minister Carlos Enrique Mayer as saying: “The national government accepts the challenge of organising the grand prix of Argentina to promote our country to the world.

“In May, the three year contract between all the parties involved will be signed,” he added.

The report said Hermann Tilke will be responsible for the 5 kilometre city layout.

Autosprint also reported that next year’s calendar will remain at 20 races, so with the addition of Argentina as well as New Jersey, two current grands prix will need to give way.

One place will likely open up due to a new alternating scheme in Spain, with Valencia to wait until 2014 for its next race.

And Autosprint added: “The grand prix of Korea no longer seems able to honour the financial obligations agreed with (Bernie) Ecclestone.”

Argentina is close to returning to the formula one calendar, the president of South America’s second-largest country has revealed.
EFE news agency quotes Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner as saying it is likely an Argentine grand prix, last held at the ageing Autodromo Oscar Alfredo Galvez in Buenos Aires in 1998, will take place in November or December 2013.

She said next year’s race would take place on the streets of the coastal city of Mar del Plata.

“For us this is very important,” she said, “because after football, motor racing is the second favourite sport of Argentina.”

Fernandez said the deal would be initially “for three years, in 2013, 2014 and 2015″.

The USF1 official pilot, the Argentinean, José María “pechito” López yesterday flew from the Córdoba Airport to Charlotte, Carolina del Norte, to visit for second time the USF1 headquarters.

As has been reported from Argentina, José María López will stay a few hours with the team and later will fly to Austria.  This is the pilot’s second visit to the United States of America, even though it will be the first as member of the US ‘scuderia,’ and will allow a dialogue with his team-mates, as well as to learn the details regarding the construction and assembly of the Type1.

“Pechito” will hang out with the new team for several hours this Saturday and later, in the evening, travel again, this time to Austria to continue his physical training in Erwin Gollner High Performance Center.

The work plan will begin February 7^th to the 14^th, returning to the USA on Monday 15^th and then, wait until the works on his single-seater end, so to tackle the first test, yet to be confirmed.

“Days are passing by and the possibility to be behind the steering wheel of the F-1 car is getting closer.  I’m flying to Charlotte to visit the people from the team, talk with them, and see how advanced is the construction of the car.  Later, I’ll fly to Austria, to continue my physical training beside;” the pilot from Cordoba, Argentina stated.

“These days in Cordoba with my family and friends were great for me.  To be a bit more relaxed and knowing the everything was closed.”  “2009 was very intense.  I almost didn’t have any time to rest, but now I’m 100 percent available for the team to start with the work,” he expressed.

‘Pechito’ Lopez has been confirmed as official driver USF1 team for the 2010 season. After several days of meetings between the sponsors of the pilot and the U.S. team, an agreement was reached to be unveiled at an event this coming Monday.

“Everything is agreed and on Monday will be the official announcement” the spokesman said the pilot. Delaying the decision had to do with the guarantees of the eight million that Lopez needed to secure a seat.

According to Argentine press releases, some of the money will come from a group of companies working with Lee since the beginning of negotiations and the endorsement of the Argentine government made late on Friday.

Thus, Lopez will be the first Argentine driver to participate in Formula 1 since Gaston Mazzacane ran in the San Marino Grand Prix 2001. The skill of ‘Pechito’ Lopez is tested by the Renault team where he played as a tester after passing through the GP2 Series for the DAMS team and SuperNova. The U.S. team still has confirmed its second seat.