Colton Herta set to participate in Cadillac's FP1 in Brazil as he pursues his FIA superlicense.
Cadillac test driver Colton Herta is set to participate in his sixth Friday practice session of the F1 season at this weekend's Sao Paulo GP to secure the missing FIA superlicense point necessary to compete in the series.
Herta, who has been preparing for an F1 campaign through private tests, FP1 sessions, and a challenging F2 season, requires 40 points to obtain the critical FIA superlicense. Cadillac had believed that the former IndyCar star had met that requirement last week in Mexico, but it quickly became clear that the Californian was still one point short due to some confusion regarding his past IndyCar results.
To correct that mistake, Cadillac will provide Herta with another Friday FP1 session in Sergio Perez's vehicle, which offers a single point. Teams are only obligated to run a rookie in four FP1 sessions annually, but Sao Paulo will mark Herta's sixth of the season as the team is eager for him to finally secure the license.
This flexibility allows the team to keep its options open as it deliberates on whether to keep current driver Valtteri Bottas for a second year alongside Perez or to give Herta his F1 debut in 2027.
"I’m really excited to get back behind the wheel of the MAC-26 for another FP1 session," Herta stated. "Interlagos is such a legendary, historic track, and driving an F1 car there is going to be an incredible experience."
"Each time I’ve been in the car this year, from Barcelona to Budapest, COTA, and Mexico City, I’ve felt increasingly comfortable and better integrated with the engineering team. My objective for Friday morning in Brazil remains the same: execute the run plan smoothly, provide Checo and the engineers with the most effective setup data to kick off their weekend, and continue building on my progress in the car. I’m thankful to the team for this opportunity."
Cadillac arrives in Brazil following a challenging weekend in Mexico, which concluded with Bottas experiencing a high-speed crash during the race due to a sudden front-left suspension failure. Team principal Marcin Budkowski noted that the team had "implemented mitigations" to prevent a recurrence.
"After our investigations post-race, Valtteri experienced a suspension failure, and we have put measures in place moving forward," Budkowski explained. "I’m also delighted to see Colton back in the MAC-26 for another FP1 session, stepping in for Checo. His development in the car throughout his sessions has been remarkable, and his insights remain crucial to our 2027 development plans."
Herta's pursuit of his superlicense faced a setback when his car broke down in Monza, preventing the 26-year-old from reaching the 100km minimum required for the session to award a point. In Brazil, completing 24 laps at the Interlagos circuit will fulfill that requirement.
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