Colton Herta discusses his Formula One move and Zak Brown confirms that McLaren has a plan for the Indy Car sensation
McLaren signed Colton Herta in March allowing him to test the McLaren MCL35 this season. He won the COTA race at the age of 19, the youngest driver ever to do so.
During the end of the 2021 season, there were rumors that Michael Andretti was all set to purchase Sauber. However, due to differences in the vision, the deal could not go through ahead.
As per Herta himself, there was a close chance of him driving a Formula One car in the 2022 season.
Inch closer to driving in Formula One
The California native spoke with the media discussing his potential F1 move. He said: “People were saying it was 50% or 60%, Even then, it was a lot closer than that.”
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‘@ColtonHerta is fastest in opening practice for Sunday’s #HIGPA at @BarberMotorPark. #INDYCAR pic.twitter.com/22V9HA7Por
— IndyCar on NBC (@IndyCaronNBC) April 29, 2022
What’s next for Colton Herta?
The American international is now a part of McLaren’s list of potential driver replacements for Daniel Ricciardo. The Australian has been underperforming at the Woking-based team. He finished eighteenth at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix only increasing Herta’s chances in 2024.
McLaren’s CEO Zak Brown spoke with the media about Herta’s potential seat. He said: “Yes, we’ve now got a plan installed for Colton.”
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He further added, “That’s up to Andreas Seidl [McLaren team principal] to communicate that outwardly when he’s ready to communicate it. But yes, we have a plan.”
Michael Andretti is still yet to receive a response from the FIA on his potential team. It remains to be seen if Herta becomes a part of Andretti’s vision or McLaren’s plan soon.
Welcome, @ColtonHerta. 🤝🇺🇸
With the new Formula 1 sporting regulations, Colton will be a part of our 2021 MCL35M testing programme in 2022.
— McLaren (@McLarenF1) March 12, 2022