In the “Silly Season” of Formula 1, the next driver change is becoming increasingly clear. Pierre Gasly is considered the preferred candidate for the second cockpit at Alpine, but Red Bull has to release him from his existing contract for 2023. And if he is, AlphaTauri needs a new driver.
The hottest candidate is the American Colton Herta (22). He is currently driving in the IndyCar series for the Andretti team, was third in 2020 and fifth in 2021 in the overall standings and has already won seven races in his IndyCar career. He has also been a development driver for the McLaren Formula 1 team since March 2022.
For Red Bull, a talented American before a season with three Grands Prix in the US (Miami, Austin, Las Vegas) would be a real PR coup. But there is a catch: Herta does not have the necessary 40 points for the FIA super license. And without them he can’t drive Formula 1 in 2023.
However, Helmut Marko does not believe that this will become a problem: “I think we can prove that he is entitled,” says the Red Bull motorsport consultant to “Motorsport-Total.com”. “Let’s see. The deal isn’t done yet. But we’ll try. We’re Red Bull and we at Red Bull are brave and hopefully we’ll be successful with him.”
Does Herta drive all Friday training sessions from Singapore?
After all: Herta is entitled to contest Friday training sessions in Formula 1, and every use in a Friday training session with at least 100 kilometers brings another super license point. In this way, should AlphaTauri let him drive continuously from Singapore, he could acquire six points. Which would still be too little.
Theoretically, the FIA could also grant Herta an exemption. However, this is considered unlikely, especially since team bosses such as Frederic Vasseur (Alfa Romeo) or Günther Steiner (Haas) have already publicly spoken out against it. And Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali also doesn’t think it’s a good idea to soften the points system.
“Sport has to abide by its rules,” Domenicali told Motorsport-Total.com. “Obviously American drivers are important and so are other drivers. If he’s eligible to go into F1 because he’s got the points then that’s fantastic news. But there’s a ladder that has to be followed, a protocol that it has to be respected.”
Domenicali emphasizes that in his opinion it is “the right thing” not to undermine the point system for the super license with an exception, because: “You can maybe discuss rewriting the rules. Then everyone can bring in their views. But as of today the rules should be respected as they are. That’s my opinion.”
Super License: What is required?
40 points are required for the Formula 1 super license. The three best from the last four seasons are evaluated. The worst result of the season in the past four years can be scrapped due to an exemption due to the coronavirus pandemic. The three best years count.
The point system for the super license is complex. Formula 2 and IndyCar are ranked highest with 40 points for the master. If you win one of the two series, you don’t need any other results. Tenth place in the overall IndyCar ranking, which Herta currently holds, earns one point. There are three points for P8.
Herta scored four points for P7 in the 2019 overall IndyCar ranking, 20 for P3 in 2020 and eight for P5 in 2021 – i.e. a total of 32. 2022, currently tenth overall, will probably not be included in the ranking and could be considered a discarded result. Six Friday appearances would put him at 38 points. Still two too few.
Wolff: Yes, Americans, but rules are rules
According to Toto Wolff, it would be “great to have an American in Formula 1” because it would give a “boost” to the popularity of the Grand Prix sport in one of the most important international markets. But the Mercedes team boss restricts: “There is a reason that there is a points system.”
He explains: “We don’t want a system where you choose the series where the competition is weakest and you can collect the most license points. I think the ladder with Formula 4, Formula 3 and Formula 2 works for Europe. “
“Maybe,” he says, “we can look at IndyCar, what that means, or Super Formula, to see if the number of points up for grabs is right. But rules are rules.” And he adds: “I really wish that the Americans could somehow get enough points to make it into Formula 1.”