Circuito Internacional Potrero de los Funes
Circuito Internacional Potrero de los Funes at a glance
- Location
- Potrero de los Funes, San Luis
- Type
- historic circuit (defunct)
- Length
- 6.27 km (3.897 mi)
- Turns
- 24
- Surface
- asphalt
- Opened
- 2008
- Owner
- Government of San Luis Province
- Capacity
- 52,000
Track map and layout
Potrero de los Funes was a semi-permanent road circuit built on ordinary public roads looping around the lake at Potrero de los Funes, a scenic tourist village in the hills of San Luis Province. At 6.270 km (3.897 miles) with 24 corners, it was one of the longest circuits used in Argentina, running around and above the lakeside with genuine elevation change and long, high-speed sections between the village's roads and surrounding hillsides. Because it used public roads with temporary barriers rather than a permanent purpose-built track, the circuit could only be assembled for a handful of events each year, and it has since been fully dismantled.
Configurations
| Layout | Length | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Full circuit (2008-2018) | 6.27 km | the only configuration used; length quoted between 6.163 and 6.270 km in different sources |
Events and race weekends
The circuit's opening event in November 2008 was a joint TC2000 and FIA GT Championship weekend, a rare instance of Argentina hosting a round of the international FIA GT series; FIA GT organiser Stéphane Ratel reportedly ranked the venue alongside circuits such as Spa-Francorchamps and the Circuit de la Sarthe. FIA GT returned in 2009, but the circuit never became a permanent fixture on the international calendar, and its last domestic race meetings, a Súper TC2000 and Turismo Nacional weekend, were held in 2018. The circuit has hosted no events since 2018 and no longer exists in a raceable state.
Getting there and parking
The former circuit sat around the village and lake of Potrero de los Funes, roughly 20 km east of San Luis city, itself served by its own regional airport. As the venue no longer hosts events there is no current spectator travel guidance; historically, visitors reached race weekends by car from San Luis city or by intercity bus to San Luis followed by a short taxi or transfer to the village.
- San Luis Airport (Brigadier Mayor D. César Raúl Ojeda) (LUQ) · about 30 min drive
The circuit no longer exists in raceable form; there is nothing to visit as a working racetrack today.
Hotels and camping near Circuito Internacional Potrero de los Funes
Potrero de los Funes remains an active tourism destination in its own right, built around its lake and hillside scenery, and continues to offer hotels and cabañas independent of its former life as a racetrack; San Luis city, a short drive away, offers a wider range of accommodation and services.
Where to look
The village of Potrero de los Funes itself for lakeside tourism accommodation; San Luis city for a wider choice of hotels.
Track days, driving experiences and lap records
The circuit no longer exists. Following years of disuse after its final 2018 race meetings, and a successful legal claim by local residents over noise and visual pollution, the semi-permanent barriers, fencing and other track infrastructure were dismantled starting in 2024, with some materials reportedly reused at the Autódromo Rosendo Hernández in San Luis city. There are no track days, events or public access to a working circuit at Potrero de los Funes today.
Lap records
| Category | Time | Driver | Car | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TC2000 (outright) | 2:28.096 | Agustín Canapino | — | 2011 |
Spectator guide
As the circuit is defunct and dismantled, there are no spectator facilities, grandstands or events to attend today; the site has reverted to ordinary public roads within the tourist village of Potrero de los Funes.
History of Circuito Internacional Potrero de los Funes
A lakeside circuit built for FIA GT
The Circuito Internacional Potrero de los Funes opened on 23 November 2008, built on public roads looping around the lake and hillsides of Potrero de los Funes, a small tourist village in San Luis Province. At 6.270 km with 24 corners, it was among the longest circuits used in Argentina, and its debut event was a rare coup for Argentine motorsport: a joint weekend for the domestic TC2000 championship and the international FIA GT Championship, with FIA GT's organiser reportedly comparing the setting favourably to circuits such as Spa-Francorchamps and Le Mans. FIA GT returned for a second edition in 2009, but international interest did not translate into a permanent slot on the world calendar.
A semi-permanent venue's limits
Because the circuit ran on ordinary public roads rather than a dedicated, permanent track, it could only be assembled for a handful of meetings each year, using temporary barriers and fencing installed and removed around race weekends. This limited how often it could be used and how much revenue it could generate relative to the disruption caused to the village. Domestic Argentine series, including Súper TC2000 and Turismo Nacional, continued to visit through the 2010s, but the circuit's last competitive weekend came in 2018.
Dismantled after a decade of disuse
Following 2018, the circuit sat unused for years while residents of Potrero de los Funes, a village built around tourism, lake recreation and its scenic natural setting, pursued and ultimately won a legal case against the province over the noise, visual pollution and disruption the circuit's infrastructure caused even between races. In 2024, the San Luis provincial government began formally dismantling the remaining barriers, fencing and other track furniture, with some material reportedly transferred to the Autódromo Rosendo Hernández in San Luis city. The village's roads have since reverted to ordinary local use, and Potrero de los Funes no longer exists as a working motor-racing venue.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Potrero de los Funes circuit still exist?+
No. It last hosted racing in 2018 and was formally dismantled starting in 2024 after local residents won a legal case over noise and visual pollution; the roads have reverted to ordinary local use.
How long was the circuit?+
Around 6.27 km (3.9 miles) with 24 corners, making it one of the longest circuits used in Argentina, though sources vary slightly on the exact figure.
Did Formula 1 or a major international series race here?+
No Formula 1, but the FIA GT Championship raced there in 2008 and 2009, a rare Argentine appearance for that international series, alongside domestic TC2000, Súper TC2000 and Turismo Nacional events.
Why was the circuit removed?+
It had sat unused since its last 2018 race meeting, and local residents in the tourist village of Potrero de los Funes successfully sued the provincial government over noise and visual pollution from the disused track infrastructure.
Can you still visit the site?+
You can visit the village and lake of Potrero de los Funes, which remains a tourism destination, but there is no working racetrack, grandstand or event to see there today.
Other tracks nearby
- Autódromo Rosendo Hernández (San Luis) · 19 km · road course
- Circuito Parque La Pedrera (Autódromo José Carlos Bassi) · 86 km · street circuit
- Autódromo Jorge Ángel Pena (San Martín, Mendoza) · 211 km · road course
- Circuito San Juan Villicum · 299 km · road course
- Autódromo Las Vizcachas · 400 km · dormant
- Autódromo Internacional de Codegua · 416 km · road course
Facts checked against 4 sources including the official circuit website. Last reviewed 2026-09-11.