Colton Herta remains one point short of F1 super licence

Herta remains one point short

I find the confusion surrounding Colton Herta’s F1 superlicence status complicates Cadillac’s plans for his 2027 entry. The 26-year-old American completed 30 laps during the first free practice session at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, which should have provided the final point he needed to reach the 40-point threshold. The rookie needed 24 laps to earn a single point for completing 100km in a session. However, the FIA confirmed Herta remains on 39 points after its investigation revealed the IndyCar website incorrectly listed him in sixth place last year instead of seventh, which would have granted him six points instead of four. This error occurred because the website failed to account for Felix Rosenqvist’s higher number of second-place finishes, which placed the Finn ahead of Herta on countback. Herta finished the 2025 IndyCar season level on points with Rosenqvist. Cadillac previously told RacingNews365 that Herta was just one point away, but the official standings show he finished seventh. The FIA had previously advised Cadillac that Herta was one point shy of being eligible during an investigation in July.

Path to the mandatory 40 points

Herta can secure the final point by completing 100km in another practice session, such as the upcoming rounds in Sao Paulo on November 8 or Las Vegas on November 22. He has earned four points this year from four F1 free practice appearances in Barcelona, Austria, the United States, and Mexico.

The FIA calculates points by looking at either the three-calendar year period preceding the application or the two-calendar year period plus the current season. Herta relies on the three-year window to include his 30 points from finishing runner-up to Alex Palou in 2024. Once he obtains the licence, Article 13.1.5 b of the International Sporting Code allows him to apply for another licence for up to three years as a "previous licence holder" if he completes 100km in a free practice session. I see this as a safety net that allows Cadillac to wait for the right timing before his 2024 points expire. He has multiple opportunities to secure the points with upcoming rounds in Qatar, Abu Dhabi, or Imola.

The fight for the 2027 seat

The debate over the 2027 Cadillac seat intensifies as the team evaluates Herta against Valtteri Bottas and Frederik Vesti. Sergio Perez, whose contract extends to 2029, noted that Herta provides good feedback and is showing more speed in the simulator. While General Motors supports Herta, team insiders prefer Bottas to maintain stability. Herta’s performance in Formula 2 has been underwhelming, as he currently occupies 19th place in those standings.

Frederick Vesti has also emerged as a contender after he replaced George Russell in the Mercedes W17 during the Mexico City practice session and finished third. Vesti has three wins and three podiums with Whelen Cadillac in IMSA, which may aid his case. Mercedes provides support for Vesti, but Herta remains the favorite because of his relationship with Cadillac F1 CEO Dan Towriss. Marcin Budkowski, the Cadillac team principal, refused to confirm if Bottas has a contract beyond this season, stating the FIA press conference was not the place to discuss driver contracts. Perez outqualified Bottas 10-8 in Grands Prix, but Bottas holds the team’s best finish with a 13th place. I note that Bottas was lapping around 1.5 seconds slower than Perez in Singapore. Bottas only finished ahead of Perez once in the six races where both drivers completed the distance. Other names linked to the seat include Esteban Ocon, Yuki Tsunoda, Alex Dunne, and Liam Lawson, though Herta remains the leading contender.