The 2023 Fórmula Nacional Argentina was a multi-event, Formula Renault 2.0 open-wheel single seater motor racing championship. The championship featured a mix of professional and amateur drivers. This championship was held under the Formula Renault Argentina moniker from 1980. This was the second season held under the Fórmula Nacional Argentina moniker.
The season started on 24 February, and was held over 24 races spanning twelve weekends. Nicolás Suárez won the Drivers' Championship, while the team of his closest competitor Emiliano Stang, Gabriel Werner Competición, won the Teams' Championship.
Teams and drivers All drivers competed with cars using a Tito-built chassis and a 2000cc Renault engine. TeamNo.DriverRoundsMartinez Competición3 Nicolás SuárezAll10 Aixa Franke3, 533 Valentina Funes1–2, 4, 6–1274 Santiago Chiarello2–12Aimar Motorsports11 Andrés BrionAll73 Brian MassaAllGabriel Werner Competición17 Juan Pablo TraversoAll62 Emiliano StangAll88 Sebastián Ng1–3, 5Gabriel Werner Junior19 Santiago Baztarrica1–7, 9–12Etchamendi Sport27 Gastón IrazúAllLR Team37 Martin ChíalvoAll63 Giovanni Ramirez PinoAll113 Facundo GutiérrezAllEsteban Sport Group Formula87 Thiago Bettino1–6, 8–12LFB Racing Team42 Daniella Ore7–12
Race calendar The first round of the 2023 calendar was announced on 5 January 2023. Further rounds were concretized at later dates, bringing the total up to twelve events. RoundCircuitDateSupport billMap of circuit locations1R1 Autódromo Oscar y Juan Gálvez, Buenos Aires(Layout #8)25 FebruaryTurismo Competición 2000TC2000 SeriesFiat CompetizioneR226 February2R1 Autódromo Ciudad de Rafaela, Rafaela18 MarchR219 March3R1 Autódromo Oscar Cabalén, Alta Gracia22 AprilTurismo Competición 2000TC2000 SeriesR223 April4R1 Autódromo Juan María Traverso, San Nicolás de los Arroyos27 MayTop Race V6Sport PrototipoR228 May5R1 Autódromo Parque de la Velocidad de San Jorge, San Jorge3 JuneTurismo Competición 2000TC2000 SeriesR24 June6R1 Autódromo Juan María Traverso, San Nicolás de los Arroyos24 JuneTurismo Competición 2000 Campeonato Superbike ArgentinaR225 June7R1 Autódromo Ciudad de La Rioja, La Rioja15 JulyTurismo Competición 2000TC2000 SeriesR216 July8R1 Autódromo Parque Ciudad de Río Cuarto, Río Cuarto5 AugustTurismo Competición 2000TC2000 SeriesFiat CompetizioneR26 August9R1 Autódromo Ciudad de Nueve de Julio - Guillermo Yoyo Maldonado, Nueve de Julio9 SeptemberR210 September10R1 Autódromo Oscar y Juan Gálvez, Buenos Aires(Layout #8)7 OctoberTurismo Competición 2000 (200 km de Buenos Aires)Stock Car Pro SeriesR28 October11R1 Autódromo Ciudad de Paraná, Paraná4 NovemberTurismo Competición 2000TC2000 SeriesR25 November12R1 Autódromo Oscar Cabalén, Alta Gracia25 NovemberR226 NovemberSource:
Race results RoundCircuitPole positionFastest lapWinning driverWinning team1R1 Autódromo Oscar y Juan Gálvez Nicolás Suárez Sebastián NgGabriel Werner CompeticiónR2 Emiliano Stang Emiliano Stang Emiliano StangGabriel Werner Competición2R1 Autódromo Ciudad de Rafaela Juan Pablo Traverso Nicolás SuárezMartinez CompeticiónR2 Emiliano Stang Emiliano Stang Juan Pablo Traverso Gabriel Werner Competición3R1 Autódromo Oscar Cabalén Emiliano Stang Brian MassaAimar MotorsportsR2 Nicolás Suárez Brian Massa Brian MassaAimar Motorsports4R1 Autódromo Juan María Traverso Brian Massa Nicolás SuárezMartinez CompeticiónR2 Brian Massa Emiliano Stang Emiliano StangGabriel Werner Competición5R1 Autódromo Parque de la Velocidad de San Jorge Brian Massa Nicolás SuárezMartinez CompeticiónR2 Nicolás Suárez Brian Massa Brian MassaAimar Motorsports6R1 Autódromo Juan María Traverso Emiliano Stang Nicolás SuárezMartinez CompeticiónR2 Emiliano Stang Emiliano Stang Emiliano StangGabriel Werner Competición7R1 Autódromo Ciudad de La Rioja Andrés Brion Andrés BrionAimar MotorsportsR2 Brian Massa Nicolás Suárez Nicolás SuárezMartinez Competición8R1 Autódromo Parque Ciudad de Río Cuarto Emiliano Stang Emiliano StangGabriel Werner CompeticiónR2 Brian Massa Andrés Brion Thiago BettinoEsteban Sport Group Formula9R1 Autódromo Ciudad de Nueve de Julio - Guillermo Yoyo Maldonado Emiliano Stang Brian MassaAimar MotorsportsR2 Emiliano Stang Emiliano Stang Emiliano StangGabriel Werner Competición10R1 Autódromo Oscar y Juan Gálvez Thiago Bettino Thiago BettinoEsteban Sport Group FormulaR2 Nicolás Suárez Emiliano Stang Emiliano StangGabriel Werner Competición11R1 Autódromo Ciudad de Paraná Santiago Baztarrica Emiliano StangGabriel Werner CompeticiónR2 Santiago Baztarrica Nicolás Suárez Emiliano StangGabriel Werner Competición12R1 Autódromo Oscar Cabalén Nicolás Suárez Nicolás SuárezMartinez CompeticiónR2 Emiliano Stang Emiliano Stang Nicolás SuárezMartinez Competición
Season report
First half Buenos Aires hosted the opening round of the 2023 season. The reversed-grid first race saw Etchamendi Sport's Gastón Irazú hit Thiago Bettino's stranded ESG Formula car, with both drivers being transferred to hospital afterwards. Stang climbed from tenth on the grid to first, before he made a mistake that allowed his teammate Sebastián Ng to take the win ahead of Juan Pablo Traverso and Aimar's Andrés Brion. The second race was characterized by a race-long battle between polesitter Stang and Martinez' Nicolás Suárez. The latter found no way past and had to be content with second place, ahead of Traverso. Stang therefore left the first round as the championship leader.
The second round happened at Rafaela. Two cars stalled at the start of race one but were avoided by all other drivers. Bettino took the lead throughout the ensuing chaos and led the race, before making a mistake and dropping back. This allowed Suárez into the lead, which he defended from Stang and Aimar's Brian Massa until the end. The leading pair was also fighting throughout the second race. After a late safety car restart, Suárez tried making a move for the lead on the final lap. The cars collided and went off track, allowing Traverso to come through and take the win. Brion and Martinez' Santiago Chiarello completed the podium. Suarez was able to take the points lead from Stang.
Next up was the round at Alta Gracia. Massa was clearly the fastest car all throughout the first race, climbing through the pack to take the lead by the mid-point. He went on to take the win, with Stang behind him having a similarly good race, rising up to second place. Chiarello completed the rostrum. Suárez started the second race from pole and was instantly attacked by Stang behind him. Massa waited until Stang made his move to surprise the pair and overtake both for the lead. From there on, the top three positions remained unchanged. Two second places for Stang saw him reclaim the championship lead, now nine points ahead of Suárez.
Teams and drivers then travelled to San Nicolás for the fourth event. The first race saw action all throughout, with five different drivers leading the race at points. Suárez was the final one and took the win ahead of Traverso and Brion. Points leader Stang collided with Bettino, he was judged to be at fault for the incident and was excluded from the race. He bounced back in the second race, taking the lead from polesitter Massa right at the start. The pair battled for a bit, but soon Massa fell back and allowed Stang to take the win. Crucially, Suárez managed to return to the podium once again, therefore taking a six-point championship lead ahead of Stang.
One week later, round five was held at San Jorge. Suárez had a remarkable first race, starting down the order and continually working his way up while Traverso, Ng, Massa and Stang contested the lead. The latter pair collided, allowing Suárez to take the lead and the win ahead of Ng. Massa came home third, but a penalty promoted Chiarello onto the rostrum. Suárez had pole position for the second race, but was unable to keep Massa behind him. Stang started fourth and soon got past Gabriel Werner Junior's Santiago Baztarrica, but could not take the fight to Suárez. Two races of Stang being outscored by Suárez saw the latter now with a sizable 33-point advantage.
The championship then returned to San Nicolás to conclude the first half of the season. Traverso started the first race from pole position. Suárez pressured him all race long, finally forcing a mistake on the final lap that saw Traverso fall to third as Stang also got by. The latter had pole position for the second race, which he controlled all throughout. A safety car restart was also no problem on the way to his third win of the season, ahead of Chiarello and Brion. Suárez had a difficult race, dropping from third on the grid to sixth at the finish. His win and second place saw Stang close up to Suárez in the standings.
Second half La Rioja opened up the second half of the season. After four podiums through the first half of the championship, Brion was finally able to take his maiden win in the first race. Second was Suárez, back to extending his points lead as Stang could only manage sixth. Massa completed the podium, and was also the driver starting the second race from pole position. He was unable to make the most of his starting position, though, and only managed to finish seventh. The win went the way of Suárez, with Brion keeping his strong form to come second and Stang in third. The gap at the top of the standings now stood at 41 points.
Round eight happened at Río Cuarto and began with Massa taking pole position for the second race. Him and Stang were the fastest cars in the reverse-grid first race as they both climbed up the order. Stang won the race, with Massa second and Brion in third, while Suárez could only manage seventh. Massa converted his pole position into a win in the second race, but was later excluded for a technical irregularity. This promoted 15 year-old Bettino to his maiden win in the category, joined on the podium by Brion and Traverso. Championship contenders Stang and Suárez finished seventh and ninth, with Stang therefore reducing Suárez' points lead to 25 points.
The ninth round was originally planned to be held at Resistencia but was relocated to Nueve de Julio shortly before the event. The first race saw Massa take his fourth victory of the season, ahead of LR Team's Giovanni Ramirez Pino, who took his maiden podium, and Suárez, who again extended his lead over Stang in seventh. The latter bounced back by taking pole position for the second race and converting that into an unchallenged victory. Suárez followed behind him in second, but the six bonus points from qualifying saw Stang take six points out of Suárez' lead that now stood at 19 points. Massa took another podium, but a late title charge for him now seemed almost impossible.
Round ten was held in support of the 200 km de Buenos Aires. The first race saw Bettino took his second win of the year and of the series. Stang came second and LR Team's Martin Chíalvo scored his inaugural podium of the season. Suárez came fifth, meaning the gap to Stang had reduced further to only twelve points. Suárez was able to take pole position for the second race, with Stang second on the grid and both getting bonus qualifying points. In a close second encounter, Stang managed to pass Suárez and win by only 0.093 seconds. Chíalvo was on the podium once again, and the two title contenders now had a clear gap to the rest of the field and nine points between each other.