Colton Herta takes second stab at overcoming crucial FIA hurdle in pursuit of F1

Colton Herta will make a second attempt to secure the final point required for his FIA Super Licence when he takes part in first practice for the São Paulo Grand Prix.

The American will replace Sergio Perez at Cadillac for FP1 at Interlagos, where he must complete at least 100km, equivalent to 24 laps, to claim the decisive 40th point needed to become eligible to race in Formula 1.

Herta had been expected to reach the threshold during the Mexico City Grand Prix weekend, but confusion surrounding his IndyCar results left him one point short.

The 26-year-old has already participated in five FP1 sessions this season, at the Barcelona-Catalunya, Hungarian, Italian, United States and Mexico City Grands Prix.

However, a hydraulic issue restricted him to just five laps at Monza, preventing him from completing the 100km required to earn a Super Licence point.

That missed opportunity proved costly, as successfully completing the necessary mileage in Italy would have allowed Herta to reach the 40-point threshold in Mexico.

Instead, he has accumulated four points from his five appearances, leaving him on 39 heading into the Brazilian weekend.

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Cadillac confusion leaves Herta facing further hurdle

The confusion emerged in Mexico when Cadillac incorrectly believed Herta had reached the FIA-mandated threshold following his FP1 appearance.

An error on the IndyCar website had incorrectly classified Herta sixth in the 2025 standings, rather than seventh, ahead of Felix Rosenqvist.

That discrepancy meant Herta had earned four Super Licence points for his 2025 campaign, rather than the six Cadillac had initially calculated — even though the American's squad's maths was already wrong.

Combined with one point from 2023, 30 from 2024 and four from his F1 practice outings, his tally stands at 39.

Herta is fighting to secure a Cadillac race seat for 2027, despite an underwhelming Formula 2 campaign that has raised questions over his readiness for F1.

With Perez confirmed at the American outfit until the end of 2029, it is Valtteri Bottas whose seat is under threat should Cadillac decide to promote Herta.

Securing the necessary mileage at Interlagos would remove the regulatory obstacle preventing his graduation, although it would not guarantee him a place on next season's grid.