Colton Herta, Cadillac test driver, will participate in his sixth practice session on Friday during the São Paulo Grand Prix. This is part of his goal to obtain the FIA superlicense point needed to compete in Formula 1.
Herta has been preparing for his entry into F1 with practice sessions and private testing, after a complicated year in F2. He needs a total of 40 points to obtain the superlicense. Recently, Cadillac believed they had reached this threshold in Mexico, but it later became clear that he was still one point short due to some confusion with previous IndyCar results.
To rectify this situation, Cadillac has decided to offer Herta a new FP1 practice session, which will allow him to earn a point. Although teams are only required to field a rookie driver in four FP1 sessions each year, Herta will complete his sixth to help the team ultimately achieve the superlicense.
The team management keeps options open regarding the future of current driver Valtteri Bottas, or the possible inclusion of Herta as a full-time driver next season.
Herta himself expressed excitement about returning to drive the MAC-26 at Interlagos. He commented that he feels increasingly comfortable in the car and with the engineering team. His goal for Friday’s session is to keep improving and provide useful data to the engineers for the weekend.
Cadillac arrives in Brazil after a tough weekend in Mexico, where Bottas suffered a high-speed suspension failure during the race. Team management has implemented measures to prevent this situation from recurring in the future.
Herta’s participation in Interlagos is not only an opportunity to accumulate points, but also a testament to his growing potential as a Formula 1 driver.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
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