Colton Herta reflects as Formula 1 entry hopes are put on hold

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Colton Herta reflects as F1 entry hopes are put on hold

By George Dagless

Published Sep 20, 2022

IndyCar driver Colton Herta has said he didn't want to enter F1 as an 'exception' to the FIA's super licence rules

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MAY 30: Colton Herta of the United States, driver of the #26 Gainbridge Andretti Autosport w/ Curb Agajanian, stands on the grid prior to the 105th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 30, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

IndyCar driver Colton Herta has said he didn't want to enter F1 as an 'exception' to the FIA's super licence rules.

The young American is one of the brightest stars on the IndyCar scene and has been linked considerably with a move to Formula 1 in recent times.

Indeed, it looked as though it might be the case he'd join AlphaTauri for 2023, with them bracing for Pierre Gasly's potential exit to Alpine, but he does not have the points number required to gain the super licence needed to compete in Formula 1.

It now looks as though F1 is off of the cards for a little while longer for the American, then, and he has said he did not want to enter the championship as 'an exception' to the FIA's rules, though he suggested that the weighting for points needs to be a little kinder on IndyCar drivers than it currently is.

Quoted by Autosport, he said:

"I can understand the FIA's position.

"I just feel that IndyCar is underrepresented in the super licence points structure.

"But from their point of view, with the current points structure, I get it. And I don't want to come in as 'an exception'."

McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown has also suggested that the super licence rules may need looking at in the near future given the situation with Herta, saying:

"If someone like Colton who's won a lot of Indycar races isn't eligible for a super license then I think we need to review the super license system."

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - JULY 30: Colton Herta, driver of the #26 Gainbridge Honda, drives during the NTT IndyCar Series Gallagher Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 30, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)

What next for Colton Herta?

Herta is clearly a driver that teams want in Formula 1, but it is not likely to be happening just yet.

He has great talent and also would bring further interest from the US into the sport, which is something the championship has been eager to capitalise on given the success of Drive to Survive across the pond and the US Grand Prix in Austin.

Whether the super licence points structure is revised on the back of this remains to be seen, though, and it's certainly something that might need consideration if teams do want to consider some of the stars of IndyCar more and more as potential options for F1 race seats.

Herta may well get to F1 in the end, but it appears another year of IndyCar awaits him next season.