{"id":4665,"date":"2026-10-31T11:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-31T14:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/?p=4665"},"modified":"2026-10-31T11:06:24","modified_gmt":"2026-10-31T14:06:24","slug":"fia-confirms-herta-is-one-point-short-of-f1-super-licence-after-mexico-fp1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f1\/fia-confirms-herta-is-one-point-short-of-f1-super-licence-after-mexico-fp1\/","title":{"rendered":"FIA confirms Herta is one point short of F1 super licence after Mexico FP1"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">News Summary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The FIA confirmed Colton Herta has 39 super licence points<\/strong>, one short of the 40 required to qualify for a full Formula 1 super licence.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The American completed the necessary <strong>100km during Mexican Grand Prix FP1<\/strong>, but discrepancies involving his IndyCar results and previous penalties affected the calculation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Cadillac can still help Herta reach the threshold<\/strong> through another eligible practice appearance, although obtaining the points would not guarantee a race seat in 2027.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Colton Herta remains one point short of the FIA super licence threshold despite completing his latest Formula 1 practice appearance for Cadillac at the 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix on Friday (30). The governing body confirmed that the American had reached <strong>39 points<\/strong>, correcting expectations that his fifth FP1 appearance of the season would finally make him eligible to compete in Formula 1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The development represents another complication in Herta&#8217;s attempt to secure a full-time F1 opportunity with Cadillac. The former IndyCar driver completed the required distance during the opening practice session at the Aut\u00f3dromo Hermanos Rodr\u00edguez, but the FIA&#8217;s final calculation established that he still needs an additional point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">FIA explains why Herta remains short of F1 super licence threshold<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cadillac entered the Mexican Grand Prix expecting Herta&#8217;s latest practice outing to resolve one of the principal obstacles to his potential Formula 1 career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The American replaced Valtteri Bottas during FP1 and completed the minimum distance required to earn an additional super licence point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Under the FIA&#8217;s regulations, eligible drivers can receive one point for completing at least 100km during an official Formula 1 free practice session, provided they satisfy the relevant disciplinary and sporting conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, <strong>the FIA confirmed that Herta&#8217;s total after Mexico was 39 rather than the required 40<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The discrepancy involved the calculation of points accumulated through his previous IndyCar championship results and the application of penalties under the relevant regulations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Herta&#8217;s seventh-place finish in the 2025 IndyCar championship had previously been incorrectly represented as sixth in some calculations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That distinction matters because championship positions carry different super licence allocations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The American finished level on points with Felix Rosenqvist, but the tiebreak criteria placed Rosenqvist ahead. Consequently, Herta&#8217;s official finishing position was seventh, not sixth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The governing body&#8217;s clarification also addressed the effect of previous penalties on the points calculation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/f1-2026-estados-unidos-austin-treinos-livres-cadillac-colton-herta-01-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"F1 2026, ESTADOS UNIDOS, AUSTIN, TREINOS LIVRES, CADILLAC, COLTON HERTA\" class=\"wp-image-1020318663\" srcset=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/f1-2026-estados-unidos-austin-treinos-livres-cadillac-colton-herta-01-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/f1-2026-estados-unidos-austin-treinos-livres-cadillac-colton-herta-01-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/f1-2026-estados-unidos-austin-treinos-livres-cadillac-colton-herta-01-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/f1-2026-estados-unidos-austin-treinos-livres-cadillac-colton-herta-01-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/f1-2026-estados-unidos-austin-treinos-livres-cadillac-colton-herta-01-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/f1-2026-estados-unidos-austin-treinos-livres-cadillac-colton-herta-01-150x84.jpg 150w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/f1-2026-estados-unidos-austin-treinos-livres-cadillac-colton-herta-01.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Colton Herta (Photo: Cadillac)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Herta&#8217;s IndyCar results provide foundation of licence application<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Herta&#8217;s strongest championship result came in 2024, when he finished runner-up to \u00c1lex Palou in IndyCar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That result was worth <strong>30 super licence points<\/strong>, making it the largest contribution to his eligibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">His tenth-place finish in 2023 added one point, while seventh place in 2025 contributed four.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Those three seasons therefore account for <strong>35 points before the eligible Formula 1 practice credits<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Herta&#8217;s additional points have come through Cadillac&#8217;s programme of FP1 appearances during the 2026 season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Colton Herta \u2014 Super licence points after Mexico FP1<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><th>Source<\/th><th class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\">Points<\/th><\/tr><tr><td>2023 IndyCar championship \u2014 10th<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\">1<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2024 IndyCar championship \u2014 2nd<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\">30<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2025 IndyCar championship \u2014 7th<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\">4<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Eligible F1 practice credits recognised in current total<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\">4<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Total after Mexico FP1<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\"><strong>39<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Required threshold<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\"><strong>40<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Remaining<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\"><strong>1<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The figures reflect the FIA-confirmed total after Mexico and the documented championship results. The final regulatory assessment also depends on the applicable eligibility and disciplinary conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why Herta&#8217;s Monza appearance did not earn a point<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Herta&#8217;s progress towards a super licence had already been complicated by a mechanical failure during his Italian Grand Prix appearance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The American was scheduled to complete an FP1 programme at Monza, but a hydraulic problem restricted him to just five laps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He therefore failed to reach the minimum 100km distance required for an additional point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f1\/cadillac-confirms-herta-for-mexico-fp1-as-dispute-over-f1-super-licence-points-continues\/\">GRANDE PR\u00caMIO<\/a><\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f1\/cadillac-confirms-herta-for-mexico-fp1-as-dispute-over-f1-super-licence-points-continues\/\">detailed before the Mexican Grand Prix<\/a>, Cadillac&#8217;s previous calculations had already raised questions about the American&#8217;s exact points total.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The team had indicated that Herta was closer to eligibility than the independently documented results suggested.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mexico was intended to provide an opportunity to eliminate that uncertainty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, Friday&#8217;s confirmation showed that the additional mileage was insufficient to complete the process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The distinction is important because participating in an FP1 session does not automatically generate a super licence point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Drivers must complete the minimum distance and satisfy the other applicable requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Cadillac can give Herta another practice opportunity in 2026<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cadillac still has opportunities to provide Herta with another eligible Formula 1 practice appearance before the end of the season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos is one potential venue, although any additional programme must be confirmed by the team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Another qualifying FP1 appearance could allow Herta to reach <strong>40 points<\/strong>, provided the FIA recognises the additional credit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Reaching that threshold would make the American eligible to apply for a full super licence through the standard points route, subject to the remaining requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It would not mean that the licence had automatically been issued. Nor would it guarantee Herta a place on the Formula 1 grid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cadillac currently fields Sergio P\u00e9rez and Valtteri Bottas as its regular race drivers, with both veterans helping the American manufacturer establish its first F1 programme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Herta&#8217;s future remains an important part of the team&#8217;s longer-term driver considerations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Herta&#8217;s F1 future remains separate from Cadillac&#8217;s driver decision<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The super licence issue has become particularly significant because Herta left IndyCar to pursue a Formula 1 opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite winning nine IndyCar races, the Californian had previously been unable to qualify for a full super licence through championship results alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">His move into the Formula 1 development environment gave him another route to accumulating the required points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cadillac has supported that process through multiple FP1 appearances, including outings at Barcelona, Budapest, Monza, Austin and Mexico City.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f1\/f1-today-hertas-licence-battle-mexico-fp1-shake-up-and-antonellis-title-chance\/\">American&#8217;s fifth practice appearance was confirmed earlier in the week<\/a>, with the team assigning him Bottas&#8217;s car for the opening session.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Herta&#8217;s participation also provided Cadillac with technical feedback at a circuit that presents unusual cooling and aerodynamic challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>GRANDE PR\u00caMIO<\/strong> is following every session of the Mexican Grand Prix this weekend, with breaking news, full coverage and real-time updates in its <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f1\/\">Formula 1 section<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Colton Herta has 39 F1 super licence points after Mexico FP1. The FIA explains why Cadillac&#8217;s American driver still needs another point.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1020319646,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"42wp_featured_image_caption":"Colton Herta ","42wp_featured_image_credits":"Cadillac","42wp_featured_video":"","42wp_ai_content_disclaimer":"","42wp_is_ai_content":false,"42wp_featured_image_hidden":false,"42wp_authors_list":[{"id":31,"location":""}],"footnotes":"","42wp_hide_from_automatic":false,"42wp_breaking_news":false},"categories":[5],"tags":[77,76,57,324],"42wp_author":[31],"class_list":["post-4665","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-f1","tag-cadillac","tag-colton-herta","tag-fia","tag-formula-1","42wp_author-bernardo-castro"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4665","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4665"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4665\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4666,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4665\/revisions\/4666"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1020319646"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4665"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4665"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4665"},{"taxonomy":"42wp_author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/42wp_author?post=4665"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}