Cadillac test driver Colton Herta will conduct his sixth Friday practice session of the Formula 1 season at this weekend's Brazil Grand Prix to collect his missing FIA superlicence point required to race in the series.
๐ The Core Development
Herta, who has been building up for an F1 campaign with private testing, FP1 sessions and a troubled F2 campaign, needs 40 points to obtain the required FIA superlicence. Cadillac believed the former IndyCar ace had reached that threshold last week in Mexico, but it soon emerged the Californian was still one point shy amid confusion over his previous IndyCar results.
Cadillac will now rectify that error by handing Herta another Friday FP1 session in Sergio Perez's car, which yields a single point. Teams are only required to run a rookie in four FP1 sessions per year, but Sao Paulo will be Herta's sixth of the season as the squad is keen for Herta to finally obtain the licence.
๐ Background & Sector Context
That allows the team to keep its options open as it considers retaining incumbent Valtteri Bottas for a second year alongside Perez, or handing Herta his F1 debut in 2027.
"Iโm really looking forward to getting back behind the wheel of the MAC-26 for another FP1 session," Herta said. "Interlagos is such an iconic, historic track, and driving an F1 car around there is going to be an awesome experience.
๐ Industry & Real-World Impact
"Every time Iโve stepped into the car this year, from Barcelona to Budapest, COTA and Mexico City, Iโve felt more comfortable and better integrated with the engineering team.
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๐ฎ Strategic Outlook & What Lies Ahead
"My goal for Friday morning in Brazil is the same: execute the run plan cleanly, give Checo and the engineers the best possible setup data to start their weekend, and keep building on my progress in the car. Iโm grateful to the team for giving me this opportunity."
Cadillac heads to Brazil after a bruising Mexico weekend, which ended with Bottas suffering a high-speed crash in the race due to a sudden front-left suspension failure. Team principal Marcin Budkowski said the team had "implemented mitigations" to avoid a repeat.
