IndyCar star Colton Herta is set to race in F2 next year, having left the American series to be a Cadillac F1 test driver for the team's debut campaign in 2026.
The 25-year-old will play a supporting role for Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas. However, he does not have the required FIA super licence points to deputise for them in a grand prix, let alone race full-time in F1, which is why he will embark on a season in the support paddock.
Reaching F1 has been Herta's goal for some time, and he has come close to achieving that dream before, but has fallen short due to the super licence (SL) points allocated to IndyCar, which is not an FIA series.
The disparity between the American championship and F2 has been the difference in his being eligible to race in F1, or not, as it were.
In 2022, Red Bull wanted to sign Herta to race for AlphaTauri in the following F1 season, but at the time, he only had 29 of the 40 required super licence points, which must be attained in a three-year period.
He finished third in IndyCar in 2020 (20 SL points); fifth in 2021 (eight SL points); and tenth in 2022 (one SL point).
The FIA refused to grant him an exception, and he stayed put. Until now...
Herta is currently on 35 super licence points, having finished tenth in 2023, second in 2024 (30 SL points) and seventh (four SL points) in the campaign that has just concluded.
That overall figure will become 34 in 2026 when the removal of his single point from 2023 is taken into account.
So, what does the American driver need to achieve in F2 next season to become eligible for F1?
Super licence points cover the top 10 in both IndyCar and the primary F1 support series, but the FIA is more generous with points in the latter, given it is one of its championships. (IndyCar is second in weighting, ahead of FIA F3.)
The motorsport governing body issues 40 points (enough for F1) to the top three in the drivers' standings in F2, whereas only the IndyCar champion gets 40 - that has been Herta's downfall.
Taking into account the 34 points he is guaranteed on his super licence until the end of next year, Herta only needs to finish his maiden F2 season in the top eight to assure himself of attaining F1 eligibility.
If he finishes ninth, for example, there are ways to make up the shortfall, but finishing higher is far simpler. And if Herta were racing in IndyCar in 2026, he would need to end the campaign sixth or higher, which is no easy feat. That is why he is making the move.
Check out the breakdown of FIA super licence points between F2 and IndyCar below!
FIA super licence points allocation: F2 vs. IndyCar
| Position in drivers' standings | F2 (SL points) | IndyCar (SL points) |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | 40 | 40 |
| 2nd | 40 | 30 |
| 3rd | 40 | 20 |
| 4th | 30 | 10 |
| 5th | 20 | 8 |
| 6th | 10 | 6 |
| 7th | 8 | 4 |
| 8th | 6 | 3 |
| 9th | 4 | 2 |
| 10th | 3 | 1 |
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