Coltons given his defacto manager and father, Bryan, strict orders, to keep Colton completely insulated. "I think many drivers agree with me In addition to practice and qualifying, exclusive coverage of Carb Day, the Indy 500 Parade, and Victory Celebration during race weekend will stream live on Peacock. Andretti Autosport would need to know soon if they have to fill the No. Should a decision on his eligibility come down before Sunday one that will not only reverberate through the IndyCar paddock, but half-a-world away during F1s race weekend at Monza in Italy as well, the elder Herta will have to do his best to stall. We want to have a test program for young drivers like we used to have in the past. That request was doomed from the start but what it shouldve done for those in charge was shed enough light on the silliness that a driver with Hertas resume is currently barred because of his resume. No question you can race in F1.. At issue is how the FIA rates IndyCar, a series it does not govern. Drivers must be a minimum of 18 years of age for the first day of their first F1 competition, ie. The IndyCar driver told The Associated Press on Friday that he is tuning down the F1 rumors until the end of the season, with the last race being on the same weekend as the Italian Grand Prix in Monza. Peacock will be the exclusive home for practice, warmup and several qualifying sessions (more than 40 hours of coverage) and also will simulstream the GMR Grand Prix race May 13 on the IMS road course (which is on NBC). Herta only has 32. Since the team joined the grid in 2006 (originally known as Toro Rosso), its drivers have accumulated just five podiums four since 2019 and two wins. But I think its uncomfortable with people team owners, other drivers making comments specific to Colton. Alexander Rossi, Herta's Andretti teammate, raced F1 in 2015 and believes in the concept of Super License points but not their application to IndyCar. Not points on a license.. the first day of their debut GP weekend. Herta, meanwhile, ended the IndyCar season with 32 points. You could argue people could decide to escape their way to the U.S. because in Indy Lights you have 12 cars on the grid and its much easier to score points and then you can come back then you almost kill and jeopardize the ladder weve been building over the years, which is nice its now almost like what you see in Moto3 and Moto2, its a clear ladder and path to Formula 1., The '23 Toyota Corolla Hatch Is Normcore on Wheels, What We Learned in Red Bulls Domination In Baku, Prock, Hight Add Wins to John Force Racing Legacy, Herta Emerges As Candidate for AlphaTauri F1 Seat, Herta Opens Eyes at McLaren With Initial F1 Test. On a global scale, its the biggest form of motorsport, undisputed. Indy 500 practice will begin Tuesday, May 16at 9 a.m. But its nothing to do for me with force majeure.. Peacock will be the exclusive home for practice, warmup and several qualifying sessions (more than 40 hours of coverage) and also will simulstream the GMR Grand Prix race May 13 on the IMS road course (which is on NBC). A sticking point continues to be Hertas lack of a Super License and speculation that F1s governing body may consider granting Herta an exemption. But there is a ladder to follow, there is a protocol to respect, and that is the situation. Bryan Herta told NBC Sports in a Friday interview that he didnt a special exemption or treatment from the FIA for Colton. McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown laughed at the idea hed ever share Hertas actual testing data from his July outing at Portimao with other F1 teams, but hes since fielded enough calls from fellow team principals and expects enough mechanics to gossip to know word of Hertas legitimately crisp F1 speed and handling would make its rounds. If we want to change the rule, lets discuss it, you know, and then fix it for the future if you think its wrong. 26 Gainbridge Honda and said its business as usual this weekend at Laguna Seca. . This can only happen, of course, if the FIA rules in Hertas favor and Herta believes this is whats best for his career. Herta hired a film crew to shadow him as he charged from 14, How Colton Herta became a budding international racing star and America's Formula 1 hope, has caused F1 team bosses Guenther Steiner (Haas) and Frederic Vasseur (Alfa Romeo), who tested Herta in McLarens 2021 F1 car in July, How and why Michael Andretti is building a racing empire, it involves the future of three F1 teams and two other drivers, Herta gets taste of F1 weekend with McLaren, As special as his Andretti tenure has been, Andretti hopes FIA decision on potential F1 expansion by October, 'You can't pass up an opportunity like that', Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Not only Alpha Tauris requests in recent weeks for the FIA to take a hard look at its current Super License system have had nothing to do with strictly trying to fast-track an American driver into the fold for the sake of doing so and everything to do with hoping to take advantage of a legitimately fast driver who brings something significant to market around. Herta is eligible for a 'Free Practice Only' superlicence that allows a driver to take part in free practice at a grand prix. To just give Pato some seat time because you never know if a driver gets injured, or gets COVID, strange things have happened. The FIAs super license rules have acted as an impediment to his potential race seat at AlphaTauri. He can still earn a Super. Added Ericsson, who raced five years in F1: I understand you have rules for a reason. Last year. Herta, the youngest IndyCar race-winner in history, has won seven IndyCar events in his young career but still fell short of the Super License threshold due to the points disparity between. Maybe IndyCar is a bit disrespected with the points allocation, but I also understand the FIA wants to protect their system and wants their guys to go through their ladder system, he said. The idea that such a clause might be twisted to somehow retroactively allow the inclusion of his 2018 Lights season (where he finished 2nd and wouldve accrued 12 points) has caused F1 team bosses Guenther Steiner (Haas) and Frederic Vasseur (Alfa Romeo) to vocally object to such a potential ruling. Home; F1 News; . SL points are based on how a series reflects in comparison to F1, not how talented a grid is. Whoever has or hasnt come before Herta, Red Bulls Christian Horner, Helmut Marko and Franz Tost, among others, have been trying to to clear a seat for Herta by shipping away one of just two drivers to score an F1 win for Alpha Tauri. Race coverage will start at 12:30 p.m. Herta, who is a F1 testing driver for McLaren and IndyCar driver forAndretti Autosport, needs an exemption from the FIA as he only has 32 of the 40 points needed for a Super License. He earned 28 of those points through his IndyCar finishes. Even with the mountain of things Red Bulls Christian Horner, Alpines Laurent Rossi, McLarens Zak Brown and Michael Andretti have had to arrange to make such a deal possible. If those are your two possible outcomes, I dont think there is a bad outcome for him in any of that. We cannot have force majeure or whatever are the situations, which is not a force majeure, certainly in that case.. Any driver worth their salt would like to try it.. The Californian is the son of former racer Bryan Herta, who is his strategist in IndyCar. F1 Addresses Dangerous Situation in Pit Lane, Perez Picks Up First F1 Sprint Win in Azerbaijan, Max Verstappen Wants F1 To Scrap Sprint Races, How F1 Drivers Are Approaching New Sprint Format, Ferrari's Mekies Poised to Take Over AlphaTauri, Sprint Will no Longer Determine Sunday GP lineup, New F1 Baku Qualifying Format Could Cause Mayhem, Red Bull, F1 Could Face More Budget Cap Woes, Why F1 Teams Are Against Colton Herta Super License Exemption. Photo: Kevin Dejewski. The McLaren TPC program gives the team an option to test potential drivers and evaluate young talent for the future. Its a tough one. If he is eligible to come in F1 because he has the points, its fantastic news. Is there an opportunity to win races in F1? Basically, a super license is the competition license you need to race in F1. 2017: P2 French F4, 10 points. Hertas actual testing data from his July outing at Portimao, Michael Andrettis failed attempt to buy a controlling interest of Alfa Romeo F1, Herta details two-day F1 test with McLaren, How Herta became a budding international racing star and America's Formula 1 hope, the FIA released a statement to Motorsport.com last weekend, thrown together nearly a decade ago in response, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. However, Herta lacks the 40 points that are required by the FIA in order to earn a Super Licence. Peacock will simulstream all qualifying coverage on NBC. From 2021, the FIA grants one additional superlicence point per event if a driver completes at least 100km during one free practice session and picks up no licence penalty points. We did it on purpose. I think force majeure cannot be used for Herta, said Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto. Im a little surprised how contentious and how public the whole thing has been. Motorsport still remains as the most high profile sport in the world where money can outweigh talent. Added Hertas Andretti teammate Romain Grosjean, who spent a decade racing in F1: There is no doubt Colton Herta deserves a super license.. I dont think its in their best interest to do that. After the FIA released a statement to Motorsport.com last weekend promising it wouldnt be pressured by any teams into decisions on matters such as Super License points and that its new president Mohammed bin Sulayem would abide by the systems robust governance, Marko, a senior advisor for Red Bull, told reporters Friday that Alpha Tauri had opted to shelve its pursuit of Herta, who currently stands eight points shy of the 40-point threshold needed to obtain a Super License. In recent years the FIA adjusted the superlicence points rules in reaction to the disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. From my point of view, (Hertas situation) has nothing to do with force majeure, Vasser said. What is disappointing and in my opinion, the fundamental problem, is that the sporting element so often took a backseat to the business side that here had to be a method put in place in order for certain teams to stop taking drivers solely based on their financial backing., Rossi added those decisions whether out of greed or necessity, is what cost Colton the opportunity to make the decision for himself as to if he wanted to alter career paths and race in F1. In the moment, we look more to somebody who has been already in F1, so therefore, (Herta) didnt make the list and he hasnt got the Super License.. Herta, meanwhile, ended the IndyCar season with 32 points. Being a Formula 1 driver is not easy. AlphaTauri's hopes of signing Colton Herta for next season appear to be over after Formula 1's governing body the FIA confirmed the IndyCar star does not qualify for an F1 Super Licence. I told my Dad, hes been handling all my management things, I told him I dont want to talk about it, I dont want to deal with it, I just want to finish the season., And then well look at the options and see if I have any., 2023 ABG-SI LLC. The American driver, who has 32 of the . Well see how it pans out, theres a few moving plates Youre not going to release Pierre if you dont have something exciting to put in that car, he said. If someone whos won a lot of IndyCar races isnt eligible for a Super License, then I think we need to review the Super License system.. AP. We werent happy with the car in practice, and we have to make it better for qualifying, Bryan said. Drivers need to accumulate 40 points to obtain a Super License based on their best three performances over the previous four seasons. Vasseur has more information on Hertas status than others because Michael Andretti attempted to purchase Alfa last season and put Herta in one of the seats. The FIAs system is weighted in favor of its primary single-seater categories, mainly Formula 2, with points for IndyCar dropping significantly the lower a driver finishes in the order compared to some other series. Colton Herta currently seems to . Colton Herta was the front-runner for the 2023 AlphaTauri seat. However, AlphaTauri has acknowledged it would release Gasly, who is apparently wanted at Alpine, but only if it had a compelling driver such as Herta to put in the car. Anirban Aly Mandal is a Formula 1 Author at EssentiallySports. The race day morning coverage of the Indianapolis 500 will begin at 9 a.m. Not even his best efforts of silencing the outside noise have kept him from knowing the international uproar his super license situation has caused. This is where F1's governing body, the FIA, steps in. Herta finished the 2022 IndyCar season with 32 points, eight less than the 40 needed for a super license. AlphaTauri says it is hoping for a quick resolution as to whether Formula 1s governing body, the FIA, will grant a Super Licence to Colton Herta. ET to determine the 33-car starting grid for The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.. Red Bull motorsport chief Helmut Marko had been pursuing a deal to bring Herta into his driver stable, and place him at sister team AlphaTauri for next season, as a possible replacement for Pierre Gasly who has been linked with the now-vacant seat at Alpine, following Fernando Alonso's shock switch to Aston Martin for 2023. Last year, there was a way to get (to 40 points), but obviously we didnt get that far into it. Nyck de Vries could be in line for the seat now that Herta is out. Outside Sebastien Bourdaiss ill-fitted jump to Red Bulls B Team after his four consecutive Champ Car titles 15 years ago, no American open-wheel racing driver has leapt or, frankly, been given the opportunity into F1 since Juan Pablo Montoya more than 20 years ago. Ive been very open with the team and all the parties involved that I dont want to talk about contracts for next year until I can get this Laguna race out of the way. And as the media had noticed yesterday, I went to Austria to meet Helmut Marko. Herta has 32 of the 40 super license points the FIA requires a prospective F1 driver to have acquired during three of their four most recent seasons. Here is the comprehensive programming schedule for the 107th Indy 500 and all other events in May: The NTT IndyCar Series will hold the GMR Grand Prix on the IMS road course May 12-13. Herta has 32 points, and there would be a few options to race in series over the winter that would allow him to amass the 40 points necessary for a Super License required to race in Formula One. Herta was on the table, and he was not eligible for a Super License at this stage, Vasseur said. Colton Herta's name continues to spin throughout the Formula One paddock and did so again Saturday in a debate on the American's ability to obtain the Super License required to compete in the global series. David Schumacher hasn't done as hot as his cousin or as Arthur Leclerc. Speaking strictly about black-and-white results, Herta just registered the worst full-time season of his IndyCar career (10th-place in points) with more finishes outside the top-10 than in it. Herta is expected to have just 32 points ahead of 2023, and although he can gain points by participating in F1 practice sessions, he doesnt currently have any sessions scheduled this year even though hes got a testing contract with McLaren. 2020: P1 Formula Renault Eurocup, 18 points. The practice time with McLaren F1 will help provide Colton with valuable FIA Super License points, which is a goal of ours as we continue efforts to bring the Andretti brand back to the Formula One World Championship.. I think theres a lot of talk involved with my dad, Michael and a lot of other people, but at the same time, Im just focused on Laguna Seca., In a concrete way, Herta says hes able to keep himself more insulated than last September because the prospect of an F1-sized expansion isnt hanging in the air and written on the faces of every single Andretti Autosport engineer, mechanic and executive he interacts with. Colton Herta at the 2021 Long Beach grand prix. In the 2023 season, F1 is scheduled to be held in Miami, Austin, Las Vegas and three Grand Prix in the United States . One team McLaren, in this case took the opportunity to see what Herta could do in proper F1 machinery, instead of attempting to translate his results from an ultra-competitive IndyCar field. Herta weighing potential F1 jump:'It's a big question mark', 'I do think I'm fast enough':Herta details two-day F1 test with McLaren, Insider:How Herta became a budding international racing star and America's Formula 1 hope. I would rather it be settled quietly, and thats it.. This doesnt really change anything for me.. Colton Herta never wanted to be the center of the motorsports worlds latest political firestorm. And on Friday, the FIA revealed that they had received an approach about his Super Licence status and his chances of making the move to Formula 1. If it were to happen, it would be a really big decision for me. Colton has to accept whatever decision happens.. . But it has also put a target on Coltons back. Dont be surprised to see him donning noise-cancelling headphones and sunglasses as he tries to distance himself from reality and focus on the one thing hardly anyone outside his inner-circle will want to know about this weekend at Laguna Seca. Ferrari, which has a renowned junior academy that has brought the likes of Charles Leclerc and Mick Schumacher through to Formula 1 via titles in Formula 2 and Formula 3, firmly put its stake in the ground. I think the IndyCar championship is a high quality, very competitive championship with top drivers and therefore I think theres no reason why we shouldnt make sure that competitive drivers over there cannot switch to Formula One, Seidl said. Colton Herta could be an AlphaTauri F1 driver in 2023 but the Aemrican does not qualify for a super license thanks to farcical conditions. Brown, who currently has Herta under an F1 contract and is the lone team principal to know just how good he is, is actively spouting the young drivers praise, knowing full well doing so may strip the talent from McLarens driver pool. Absolutely open for some flexibility there in handing a guy like Colton the Super License, because at the end of it, what he has shown so far in his racing career, I have no doubt that he is absolutely able to compete in F1.. In todays highly professional scene, having talent alone is not enough to enter the sport. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1526810873155-0');}); if they had another option lined up to replace him. Additionally, though both said at the Dutch Grand Prix that theyd consider awarding more points to IndyCar in the current super license system, Steiner and Vasseur are vehemently against retroactively changing it to give Herta a backdoor. Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko told reporter Chris Medland that an agreement was reached to bring on Colton Herta, pending the FIAs decision on his super license. Here is the comprehensive programming schedule for the 107th Indy 500 and all other events in May: The NTT IndyCar Series will hold the GMR Grand Prix on the IMS road course May 12-13. Our pride in him has less to do with how fast he can drive a race car., Follow Bruce Martin on Twitter at @BruceMartin_500. #F1 https://t.co/ukJI1hHTzE, Colton Herta (@ColtonHerta) March 12, 2022. But consider that Linus Lundquist earned enough points for a Super License by clinching the Indy Lights championship Saturday at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. In addition to practice and qualifying, exclusive coverage of Carb Day, the Indy 500 Parade, and Victory Celebration during race weekend will stream live on Peacock. Insider: Colton Herta's loss of F1 shot shines light on FIA's imperfect Super License system. It was almost exactly a year ago that Andretti rolled up to him on his scooter early in the Portland race weekend and said out of earshot of eager media members and fans, "We're really close on this. ET to determine the 33-car starting grid for The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.. At the same time, Steiner, who may be in the market to hire a driver in the coming weeks, said Hertas not on his radar strictly because of his Super License status. Herta's Formula 1 fate is in the hands of the FIA, which has the power to grant exemption for drivers without enough Super License points. Indianapolis Star. ET on Peacock. To value IndyCar between F2 and F3, those are like kids racing pretty much. Herta cannot. ET and Sunday, May 21, at 4 p.m. Herta has won seven IndyCar races, is the youngest winner in series history and has four starts in the Indianapolis 500. I see the other side: What are rules if not for following? Herta could also potentially run in an FIA-sanctioned winter series to pick up some points. And yet, a series that has gone from 0 U.S. races to 3 in 11 years, including one owned by an American media company and which has seen a viral Netflix docuseries exponentially grow F1's American fan base, is prepared to let a poorly-crafted licensing system keep away its first legitimate American prospect in seven years. At the moment, Herta has accumulated 32 of the requisite 40 Super License points necessary to be eligible for a seat in 2023. Ricciardo is believed to be signed through 2023; Norris signed an extension in January through 2025. He wants to take a chance at Formula One. INDY 500 PRIMER:Questions and answers for the worlds biggest race. At this point a year ago, hed made up his mind. . The decision to deny Herta this license and, in doing so, deny the young American the opportunity to race in Formula 1 has proved controversial. Here is the comprehensive programming schedule for the 107th Indy 500 and all other events in May: The NTT IndyCar Series will hold the GMR Grand Prix on the IMS road course May 12-13. driver Colton Herta (26) of United States before the Grand Prix of Monterey at Right now we dont have any seat available. But what we wont do is compromise the IndyCar team at all. Hes not on the list at the moment because he hasnt got the Super License, said Steiner, who added that Haas is considering only drivers with F1 experience. Indy 500 practice will begin Tuesday, May 16at 9 a.m. NBC Sports has unveiled its broadcast coverage schedule for the run-up to the 107th Indy 500, including a bonus two hours of streaming before coverage of the May 28 race begins at 11 a.m. on NBC, Peacock and Universo. ET. Theoretically, Herta could still earn a Super License by picking up one point for free . NBC also willair four hours of Indy 500 qualifying coverage on Saturday, May 20, at 2:30 p.m. ET. Last month, McLaren officially landed the contract of 2021 F2 champ Oscar Piastri, a member of the Alpine Junior Academy after FIAs Contract Recognition Board ruled Alpine did not a valid deal to keep Piastri from McLaren. Currently, Herta's 2018 Indy Lights season does not count for super license points because fewer than 10 full-time drivers competed in the series; he needs those points in order to qualify for a . I think he wants to take a chance at F1, and I believe hes good enough to deserve that chance, but you also dont want to go over there with an asterisk walking in.. Regulations are in place in order to protect our sport and make sure that we're making the right process and choices for our sport itself. McLaren head Zak Brown said last month during the IndyCar race weekend at St. Petersburg, Florida, that he does not have an open F1 seat, with both Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo signed to long contracts. "He [Gasly] is a Red Bull Racing driver on loan to AlphaTauri. I want to thank McLaren for the opportunity to get my first laps in a Formula 1 car, which has always been on my racing bucket list, Herta said. And we can survive without the system. . There will be one Formula 1 rookie on the grid at Monza in the form of Nyck de Vries, who will step in to replace Alexander Albon at Williams after the Anglo-Thai suffered from appendicitis after Friday practice. And I think it was a good decision.. The race day morning coverage of the Indianapolis 500 will begin at 9 a.m. Rossi, who has spent the last four seasons as Hertas teammate at Andretti Autosport, lashed out this week because Im so sick and tired of this back and forth regarding the licensing.