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The FIA issued a statement on the rejection of Colton Herta’s super-license, which would've allowed him to drive in F1. According to the statement, the American driver did not have enough points to apply for a super-license, which is mandatory for participation in the sport.
The FIA said:
“The FIA confirms that an enquiry was made via the appropriate channels that led to the FIA confirming that the driver Colton Herta does not have the required number of points to be granted an FIA superlicence."
According to the FIA, there was recently an official inquiry made for a super-license for Colton Herta. However, upon examination of the case, the American driver did not have enough points to be eligible for a super-license. The IndyCar champion had only 32 points compared to the 40 needed to make him eligible for the license. AlphaTauri is interested in Herta as a replacement for Pierre Gasly, who is rumored to be moving to Alpine.
Further adding to the statement, the FIA clarified the eligibility factors, saying:
“The FIA continuously reviews its regulations and procedures, including with respect to superlicence eligibility, with the main factors being considered with respect to this topic being safety, experience and performance in the context of the pathway.”
Christian Horner urges F1 to review its super-license system
Red Bull team chief Christian Horner believes that the super-license system needs to be reviewed, especially if F1 desires to have an American driver in the sport. The Briton feels that the current super-license system makes it difficult for American talent from the premier series to move to F1.
Speaking on the Beyond the Grid podcast, the Red Bull CEO said:
“We’ll accept whichever decision they come up with. But it’s something that needs looking at, because it shouldn’t be so hard for drivers to transition from America’s premier series into Formula 1."
Herta’s lack of super-license points, despite his merits and driving talent, have highlighted a few drawbacks to the system, particularly for American drivers. A championship claimed in the premier American series does not qualify drivers in comparison to F2 or F3 drivers, so the system definitely needs reviewing. Beyond that, it has put Herta off the driver market for the 2023 Formula One season.
With Nicholas Latifi now also ruled out of F1 for the 2023 season, the driver market is bound to heat up following the conclusion of the 2022 campaign.
