A name long linked to the F1 grid but yet to find his way onto it, Colton Herta, is back in the spotlight once again. With Cadillac set to enter the sport next year, Herta has resurfaced among the list of drivers tipped for a potential seat. However, it won’t be an easy task.
Herta is currently competing in IndyCar, where he’s regarded as one of the most talented drivers. He finished second in last year’s championship and has won nine races to date. So why has the American found it so difficult to land a seat at the pinnacle of motorsport?
In short, the FIA’s super license points system is the reason. Herta has been repeatedly linked with an F1 move, but a lack of sufficient points has held him back. He came close to joining AlphaTauri (now Racing Bulls) a couple of seasons ago, but had just 32 super license points—falling short of the FIA-mandated 40.
Despite reported requests, the sport’s governing body refused to alter the rules, drawing widespread criticism, especially given how they were willing to tweak the rulebook to accommodate Andrea Kimi Antonelli on last year’s grid, if needed.
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
That said, this season, Herta’s F1 future appears to be in his own hands, but for that, he has to finish at least P4 in the IndyCar championship. Easy, right?
Not really.
The Santa Clarita-born driver’s start to 2025 hasn’t been ideal, and he currently sits P8 in the Drivers’ standings. Herta has 99 points, just nine behind Pat O’Ward, who currently occupies the fourth spot in the standings.
The midfield battle is incredibly tight, and there’s no room for slip-ups if Herta wants to secure the super license points needed to make the jump to F1, because it’s unlikely that even now, the FIA will make any exceptions for him. Nonetheless, the American has several backers.
Reputed F1 journalists and fans who have followed his IndyCar career have consistently vouched for his talent. Moreover, with Cadillac entering as an American team, having an American driver represent their colors would be a commercial boost, especially at a time when the sport’s popularity in the United States is at an all-time high.
Other names in the rumor mill include Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez—both fairly popular stars, but well past their prime and now in their mid-30s. Herta, at 25, offers much more physically and could be a star for the future.
His association with Andretti in IndyCar could also work in his favor, given that it was Michael Andretti’s efforts that brought Cadillac into F1 in the first place. For now, though, Herta’s sole focus must be on securing that all-important top-four finish.
