Will Buxton calls out F1's "utterly ridiculous" rule after Colton Herta's IndyCar 'sacrifice’

Former Andretti Global star Colton Herta made the move to Cadillac F1 for the 2026 season as the reserve driver. The American would also be racing in F2, along with fulfilling the role at Cadillac, to get enough points for a super licence. Will Buxton came out and slammed the FIA for the ridiculous super licence system.

As Cadillac’s entry was finally approved by the FIA and Formula One Management earlier this year, Colton Herta’s name popped up as a potential driver for the newest F1 team. However, the former Andretti Global driver did not have enough points for a super licence and needed to finish 4th or higher this season in the series to get one.

Herta only managed to finish 7th in the championship, and soon after the IndyCar season ended, Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez were announced as the lineup for Cadillac. Colton Herta left Andretti and will be racing in F2, as the super licence points awarded in the junior Formula category are higher compared to IndyCar. Along with that, Herta will also get points for completing tests and sessions with Cadillac.

Indycar’s play-by-play announcer Will Buxton came out and slammed FIA for the super licence points awarded in IndyCar series, detailing how the American open wheel racing series is no less than the F1 feeder series. Buxton said (via the Fast and the Curious podcast)

“Take a moment to think about what Colton Herta is sacrificing here.” (41:00 onwards)

Will Buxton detailed how Herta was the highest-paid IndyCar driver in the series, and joined the F2 and reserve role only to fulfill his dream of becoming an F1 driver.

“The stipulation of the super license points is utterly ridiculous, and it needs a shift. I understand that the FIA wants to protect their junior formulas in Formula 2 and Formula 3, and get people going through those to amass the points to get to Formula 1. IndyCar is not a feeder series,” added Will Buxton

“It is not a preparatory series. If you are racing an IndyCar, and you are finishing top four in the championship, don't tell me that you don't deserve the same number of points as a driver finishing top four in Formula 2, because that's ****. These drivers are phenomenally gifted.”

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Andretti Global CEO reveals Colton Herta’s “huge risk” amid the Cadillac move

Colton Herta was established as a championship challenger at Andretti Global after challenging Alex Palou for the 2024 title. Despite that, the American took the risk of moving to F1 as a reserve driver only to fulfill the dream of racing in F1.

Detailing the risk taken by Herta amid the F1 move, TWG Motorsports CEO Dan Towriss said, (via Sky Sports)

“For Colton, this has always been a dream of his, to drive in F1, but to do that, this is the path he had to take. He has to take a huge risk, a huge amount of risk – no seat is guaranteed. This is F1, so he wants to learn tracks and tyres and show that respect to European open-wheel racing.”

Herta is yet to confirm his team for the 2026 F2 season, but it will likely be announced before the end of the current season.