News Summary
- Colton Herta earned his 40th super licence point in São Paulo Grand Prix FP1 after completing 31 laps in Sergio Pérez’s Cadillac.
- The American had arrived on 39 points after a correction to his 2025 IndyCar finishing position left him one short following practice in Mexico City.
- Reaching 40 points clears the points requirement for Herta to apply for a full FIA super licence. Cadillac has yet to announce him as a race driver for 2027.
Colton Herta earned the final point he needed to qualify for a full FIA Formula 1 super licence in opening practice for the São Paulo Grand Prix on Friday. The Cadillac reserve driver completed 31 laps at Interlagos in Sergio Pérez’s car, clearing the 100km requirement and taking his tally from 39 to 40.
At the 4.309km circuit, Herta needed at least 24 laps to reach the distance. Freddie Slater’s stoppage in the Audi brought out a red flag early in Friday’s opening practice, with Herta still short of his target. He completed the required running after the restart and finished 20th with a best lap of 1:14.275.
Why Herta still needed a point after Mexico
Herta had already covered the required distance in Mexico City, completing 30 laps in FP1. The issue was the tally he had brought into that session. IndyCar’s published standings had listed him sixth in the 2025 championship, but he was seventh on countback after finishing level on points with Felix Rosenqvist. Rosenqvist had more second-place finishes.
The distinction was worth two super licence points. Sixth place would have earned Herta six points. Seventh earned him four. The correction left him on 39 even after the point from Mexico, giving Cadillac a reason to put him back in the car one week later.
The American had another chance earlier in the season at Monza, but a hydraulic problem restricted him to five laps. As GRANDE PRÊMIO detailed before his Interlagos outing, Herta arrived in Brazil with 35 points from his IndyCar results and four from eligible F1 practice appearances. São Paulo supplied the fifth practice point.
What reaching 40 points means for Herta’s Cadillac prospects
Herta can now apply for the full FIA super licence required to race in Formula 1. He has been able to take part in FP1 under a practice-only licence while competing in Formula 2 for Hitech. The FIA handles the full licence application, while Cadillac decides who will race its cars.
Cadillac has extended Pérez’s contract through at least 2029. Valtteri Bottas occupies the other race seat, and Herta’s newly secured eligibility gives Cadillac the option of promoting its reserve driver for 2027.
GRANDE PRÊMIO is following every session of the São Paulo Grand Prix live from Interlagos in Formula 1.
