It appears that Colton Herta will join AlphaTauri for the 2023 season.
Herta still lacks the required number of points for a Super License, although some believe F1 will grant an exemption.
He would be the first American to participate in Formula One since 2015 and the first full-time driver since 2007.
Something is being loaded.
Formula One is on the verge of signing its first American driver in seven years, but only if the sport can find a way past the issue that he is not yet eligible.
Red Bull Racing adviser Helmut Marko revealed to SpeedCity Broadcasting on SiriusXM (via Racer) that AlphaTauri had signed an agreement with American Colton Herta to join the squad in 2023.
The IndyCar driver is ineligible for F1 since he lacks an FIA Super License, and there is no way for him to gain enough points before next season.
A driver must qualify for a Super License in order to compete in F1. Applicants must have earned 40 points in other FIA-sanctioned series over the course of three previous seasons (or four years, to account for pandemic-related challenges). Herta currently has 32 IndyCar points, and in the best case scenario, he might gain six more by completing in the final six FP1 practice sessions with AlphaTauri. Despite this, he would be two points short.
The FIA, the governing body of F1, comes in at this point. With the sport’s rising popularity in the United States and three American races scheduled for next season, the FIA may be tempted to make an exception for Herta in order to get an American on the grid as soon as feasible.
Marko acknowledged that the FIA is considering whether to grant Herta a Super License, and he anticipates that a decision will be made this week.
Red Bull team leader Christian Horner (left) and consultant Helmut Marko.
A second obstacle appears to have been overcome by Herta. McLaren had an F1 option on Herta (he recently tested with the team), but according to Racer’s Chris Medland, they’ve renounced it because they’ve selected Oscar Piastri to replace Daniel Ricciardo.
Herta would be the first American driver to compete in Formula One since current IndyCar driver Alexander Rossi participated in five races in 2015. Scott Speed, who raced in 2006 and 2007, was the final American driver to compete full-time on the grid. The last American to win an F1 race prior to Speed was Mario Andretti in 1982.
Some significant voices are against an exemption for Herta
While F1 could profit from having an American on the grid next season, not everyone, including F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali, is in favor of granting Herta a Super License.
“The sport must adhere to the rules,” said Domenicali to Autosport (via ESPN). “Obviously, American drivers and other drivers are crucial. It’s great news if he can compete in F1 because he has enough points. However, there is a ladder to climb and a routine to observe; such is the circumstance. It is therefore what I think to be the correct course of action.”
Since the FIA does not oversee the American series, IndyCar is not rated as highly as Formula 2, the feeder series for Formula One.
Some team proprietors, like as Haas’s Gunther Steiner, are open to modifying the rules but do not want them to be circumvented as they currently stand.
Steiner stated at the Dutch Grand Prix, “I don’t want to be sitting here and saying, ‘Oh, an IndyCar race is just as wonderful as this’.” “You cannot compare it. If we want to amend the rule, let’s discuss it and, if you think it’s wrong, fix it for the future. However, there must be an agreement between the parties involved.”
Guenther Steiner.
Mark PETERSON/ ATP pictures
Mercedes manager Toto Wolff concurred.
Wolff stated, “It would be fantastic to have an American in F1, and it would certainly give us a boost.” “But I believe the points system serves a purpose. The rules are the rules, and I sincerely hope that the Americans can get enough points to qualify for F1.”
Steiner added that other IndyCar drivers possess Super Licenses in accordance with the requirements.
It is currently unclear who might replace Herta at AlphaTauri.
AlphaTauri has not yet confirmed that Pierre Gasly or Yuki Tsunoda would not be returning for the upcoming season, but they may be looking for one or two new drivers.
The Race’s Mark Hughes and Scott Mitchell-Malm report that Alpine has agreed to buy out the final year of Pierre Gasly’s contract with AlphaTauri, allowing him to join the French team if the two parties can reach a deal. According to multiple reports, Alpine wants to leave its options open for the time being.
Yuki Tsunoda (on the left) and Pierre Gasly.
Peter Fox/Getty Images
Christian Horner, the team principal of Red Bull, hinted that Gasly’s move could be dependant on the FIA accepting Herta’s Super License.
At the Dutch Grand Prix, Horner stated, “We simply need clarity on the driver points position, which hopefully will come sooner rather than later.” “This clearly plays an important role in the driver merry-go-round… [we won’t release Gasly] if we don’t have something exciting to put in the car.”
Tsunoda’s contract expires at the end of the season, and it is uncertain whether he will return to Red Bull’s sister squad for the following season. Team advisor Helmut Marko has referred to Tsunoda as a “problem child” due to his radio rants during races. Tsunoda has a “strong chance” of remaining with the squad, according to team principal Franz Tost, which is hardly a ringing recommendation.
After Herta, F2 racer Liam Lawson might be the next in line. He is a young driver for Red Bull and recently participated in his first F1 practice with AlphaTauri. Marko claimed that their junior drivers will be prioritized, stating, “We have a program of our own. We naturally prefer our own folks.”