Andretti Global has finally managed to make some headway in their $200,000,000 bid to enter the pinnacle of motorsports. With the FIA already giving their approval, it seemed like the only hurdle left is to get approved by the FOM. However, as per a recent report by The Race, a new challenge that has come up for Andretti is to choose which American driver they would want to take with them if and when they get the green light from the FOM.
Michael Andretti had made it clear from the very start that his team would be a true American team in all senses. He had promised that Andretti would always have at least one American driver in its ranks.
An all-American F1 team is the plan for Andretti and Cadillac, complete with an American driver.
Michael Andretti: “We definitely have plan to have an American driver. I think you all know who is leading the pack on that one.”
[Per @LukeSmithF1]#F1 #Andretti #Herta
— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) January 5, 2023
It was initially very clear that the American driver of choice would most definitely be Colton Herta. However, as of now, there are a few more names coming up who could be a better choice than Herta to cross the Atlantic and jump into F1.
The battle of drivers at Andretti
The main alternative name that has come up now is that of Kyle Kirkwood. The 24-year-old American has had a breakout season in 2023, becoming the first driver to claim more wins than Herta in the Andretti.
While Herta had his first winless season in his five-year Indycar career, Kirkwood managed to win 2 races. However, the choice isn’t as simple as picking Kirkwood because he has won more races.
🚨 ¡OJO! Andretti tendría un dilema sobre qué piloto americano fichar, Colton Herta VS Kirkwood
👉 “Hace tiempo Herta era el favorito, pero las cosas han cambiado mucho”
👉 “Kirkwood tiene dos victorias en la Indy. Quizás se merezca la oportunidad de pilotar en F1″… pic.twitter.com/qIE44tMWEy
— Fórmula Directa (@FormulaDirecta) October 13, 2023
Taking into account the bigger picture, Herta has been much more consistent than his teammate over the whole season. It is quite evident by the fact that he beat Kirkwood by 4 points in the championship standings. He also came out on top in the qualifying head-to-head as well as the race head-to-head battles.
Colton Herta has always been the first choice
Herta has always been the first choice for Andretti, and it is evident why. The form that Kirkwood has shown in 2023 has already been shown by Herta for the four previous seasons. On top of that, he has an extremely close relationship with the management at Andretti.
However, all of the dilemma would go out of the window if either of them fail to claim the necessary super license points needed to get into F1. In that case, names like Linus Lundqvist may come into the forefront.
Overall, it is still uncertain who would get the green light from Andretti. But first of all, the main concern would be to get the green light from the FOM first.
