15/09/2022
NEWS STORY
With the current superlicence system presenting a stumbling block to Colton Herta's entry to F1, McLaren boss, Zak Brown is calling for a review.
For Liberty Media a fully-fledged American driver lining up on the grid at Miami, Las Vegas and COTA next season would be a dream, and no doubt the producers of Drive to Survive are already working on the script.
However, there is the little matter of the superlicence that all drivers must have in order to compete in F1 and the American simply doesn't have the points to qualify.
With 32 points, Herta is 8 short of the 40 needed to qualify for the superlicence, which has led to AlphaTauri calling on the FIA to make an exception, citing the 2020 IndyCar season, when he finished third, but there was a reduced number of races due to COVID, and the 2018 Indy Lights series, in which he was runner-up, but which didn't feature the required number of entries.
The Faenza-based outfit is keen to recruit Herta, which would free up Pierre Gasly who wants to join Alpine, but speaking at the weekend, team boss, Franz Tost was unsure if Herta will get approval, which would require the intervention of the FIA.
"It's a decision from the FIA whether he gets the superlicence or not," said the Austrian, "and I hope that FIA will take this decision as soon as possible so that we know how to build up the team and where to go for next year."
Asked what needs to be done to get Herta his licence and whether AlphaTauri is considering running him in FP1 sessions in a bid to boost his points, Tost said: "This is a question you have to ask the FIA, because there's a regulation and if the FIA wants to change anything, then this is one side.
"We, from our side, will support it of course," he added. "If it's necessary to run in FP1 then we will run him in FP1. Yeah, we will do everything what is being requested."
A number of team bosses have voiced their concern at the rules being 'manipulated' in order to get Herta to the grid, with support coming from F1 boss, Stefano Domenicali.
"The sport needs to respect the rules," he said recently. "Of course, American drivers, or other drivers, are very important. If he is eligible to come in F1 because he has the points, it's fantastic news.
"But there is a ladder to follow," he warned, "there is a protocol to respect, and that is the situation. So it's really what I believe is right to do."
Asked if he feels the current system needs review, Domenicali said: "I don't think it's right to change something retrospectively, I think it's the right thing to do to apply the rules. And if there is some point to be to discussed, if there is a need to update the rules, there is the right forum on which everyone can bring ideas or points for discussion.
"But today, the rule is that one should be respected. That's my opinion."
Zak Brown, who appears to be in the process of signing up numerous drivers from IndyCar for his teams' various projects, doesn't agree.
"Mohamed (ben Sulayem), the new president, he's doing a lot of reviewing of things that he's inherited," he tells Racer, "and I think the whole licensing system needs to be reviewed.
"I get that the rules are what the rules are, and the rules shouldn't be broken," he admits. "But I question whether just because they're rules that are in place now, that those are the correct rules.
"Someone of Colton's calibre or Pato's calibre or half the field here (in IndyCar) are Formula 1 capable. So no one's sure yet where the ruling's going to come down.
"But I think if someone like Colton, who has won a lot of IndyCar races, isn't eligible for a superlicence then I think we need to review the system."
The American was keen to point out that if the system had been in place in the past, a number of world champions wouldn't have made it to the grid.
"I think you take a look at the whole thing, but certainly where IndyCar sits, if you can win, what is it, seven races... the rules were written before my time, so I wouldn't want to speculate how they came up with those rules.
"I don't think Max Verstappen would've been eligible for a superlicence, Kimi Raikkonen wouldn't have been eligible... so you can go back and, look you've got a couple guys that are world champions that wouldn't have got their license in today's environment.
"We've had Colton in our car and he did a great job in two days of testing. So the guy can drive a Formula 1 car, no mistake about it."
As it stands, the FIA's stance is simple.
"The FIA will not be pressured by any teams into decisions on matters such as superlicence points," a spokesperson for the sport's governing body told Autosport over the Monza weekend. "The FIA President has implemented robust governance, and we will abide by that."
Also at Monza, Ferrari boss, Mattia Binotto voiced his objection to the move, especially when it was suggested that the FIA could yet use force majeure to get Herta his licence.
"We are investing a lot in our Ferrari Driver Academy and continue to do so. I think force majeure cannot be used for Herta. That will be a completely wrong approach.
"Regulations are in place in order to protect our sports and make sure that we're making the right process and choices for our sport itself. So Herta may participate in the championship, (when) he's got what are the requirements to do so and not differently.
"I think that's very important and we will certainly overview what FIA will do in that respect. And I think each single team will do so because it's for the importance of our sport. We cannot have force majeure or whatever are the situations, which is not a force majeure, certainly in that case."
With other teams also watching the situation very carefully, it has been suggested that Herta contest one of the series that takes place over the winter, Toyota Racing Series, or the Indian and Asian Formula Regional series, with Red Bull, which sees a future for the American with its 'big team', funding the move, seeking to get him into the best team possible.