IndyCar's Colton Herta Secures F1 Super Licence - 'Would Have Been Useful A Few Years Ago'

Saajan Jogia | Sep 16, 2024

Jul 21, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Andretti Global driver Colton Herta (26) holds the crystal trophy after winning the Honda Dealers Indy at Streets of Toronto. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images / Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

IndyCar driver Colton Herta, who races for Andretti Global, revealed that he had finally secured the
Super Licence to race in Formula 1. Herta was closely linked to a move to Red Bull's junior team AlphaTauri (now VCARB) for the 2023 season, but his entry was blocked by the FIA for not having the required Super Licence points.

In 2022, Herta became the youngest driver to win an IndyCar race. With Formula 1's surging popularity in the United States, fueled by Netflix’s Drive to Survive docuseries, the transition of a successful American driver like Herta to F1 could have been a pivotal moment in expanding the sport's presence in the U.S.

Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko had been pursuing a deal to have Herta onboard the Red Bull family for a seat at AlphaTauri for the 2023 season. The move was a priority as Pierre Gasly was linked with the vacant seat at Alpine, following Fernando Alonso's shock switch to Aston Martin for 2023.

Despite his impressive run in IndyCar, Herta lacked the 40 Super Licence points needed to compete in Formula 1. There were rumors that Red Bull was exploring ways to bypass this limitation, which could have allowed the Californian to join Yuki Tsunoda as his teammate in 2023.

Unfortunately for Herta, Red Bull could not find a way around the requirement to have him on the team. As reported by Formula1.com, an FIA spokesperson had stated:

"The FIA confirms that an enquiry was made via the appropriate channels that led to the FIA confirming that the driver Colton Herta does not have the required number of points to be granted an FIA Super Licence.

"The FIA continuously reviews its regulations and procedures, including with respect to Super Licence eligibility, with the main factors being considered with respect to this topic being safety, experience, and performance in the context of the pathway."

However, years later, a post on X from The Race confirmed that Herta had received the
Super Licence to compete in Formula 1. However, the 24-year-old Andretti driver said it would have helped him a few years ago. He said:

"It's nice to have one, I guess. I think it's disrespectful for IndyCar how underrepresented it is.

"But these are all things we know and we've talked about three years ago."

Colton Herta appears to have secured a superlicence that would make him eligible to race in #F1 after finishing second in the #IndyCar championship.

He says it “would have been useful a few years ago” after he missed out on an F1 drive previously: pic.twitter.com/ONo68MmMA4

— The Race (@wearetherace) September 16, 2024

Fortunately for Herta, he seems to be doing well in IndyCar. A decisive move in the closing laps of the IndyCar Music City Grand Prix earned him his first oval victory of the season at Nashville Superspeedway on Sunday. This win elevated him to second place in the 2024 championship and marked Andretti Global’s first victory since Alexander Rossi's win at Pocono Raceway in 2018.