“Unlikely the FIA will budge for 8 points”– F1 journalist claims Colton Herta move to AlphaTauri isn’t happening

F1 journalist Will Buxton claims Colton Herta moving to AlphaTauri may not happen as he doesn’t have adequate superlicense points.

With Pierre Gasly moving near Alpine to replace Aston Martin-bound Fernando Alonso, Red Bull is burdened with finding the Frenchman’s successor at AlphaTauri.

But, the Red Bull academy’s prospects in the F2 are not performing up to the level that could grant them a move to F1. Thus. The Milton-Keynes-based side sought to find a prospect overseas.

Colton Herta, the IndyCar sensation, seemed the right candidate for AlphaTauri. However, there was an issue. The American is falling short by 8 points of having an FIA superlicense. Hence, preventing his entry to F1.

So far, F1 and FIA haven’t made it easy for Red Bull and aren’t making an exception for Herta. Despite knowing that reportedly an agreement between Herta and Red Bull is already in place.

F1 journalist Will Buxton claims that Herta’s move to F1 seems unlikely. And in this, FIA isn’t going to be the only culprit, as Andretti Motorsport may also not allow him to go to other competitions to fulfil his 8 points.

As for Herta, looks unlikely the FIA will budge or fudge the points.

He COULD compete in F3 Asia or Toyota Winter Series (NZ). Title in either = 10 SL points.

Word from the US, however, is that Andretti don’t believe they will have an Indycar seat that needs filling. He stays.

— Will Buxton (@wbuxtonofficial) September 9, 2022

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Colton Herta: A lousy precedent?

Apart from F1 and the FIA, other teams are also not helping Red Bull. Many are against bending the rules for an individual, no matter how talented they are. Even 2019 F2 champion Nyck de Vries has reservations about possibly including Herta without minimal license points.

“Personally, I believe that you should stick to the rules and not make exceptions in these kinds of situations,” he said to Motorsport. “There are plenty of superlicensed drivers to choose from.”

“And,” he added, “if they go in that direction and start making exceptions, where does it stop? Then of course many more drivers will knock on the door of the FIA thinking they deserve dispensation.”

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About the author

Tanish Chachra

Tanish Chachra is the Motorsport editor at The SportsRush. He saw his first race when F1 visited India in 2011, and since then, his romance with the sport has been seasonal until he took up this role in 2020. Reigniting F1's coverage on this site, Tanish has fallen in love with the sport all over again. He loves Kimi Raikkonen and sees a future world champion in Oscar Piastri. Away from us, he loves to snuggle inside his books.

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