Cadillac will give Colton Herta another Formula 1 practice outing at the Brazilian Grand Prix as he tries to earn the final point needed for his superlicence. He will replace Sergio Perez in FP1, making it Herta’s sixth practice appearance with the team this season.
Herta currently has 39 of the 40 points required for an F1 superlicence. His total includes one point for finishing 10th in IndyCar in 2023, 30 for coming second in 2024 and four for placing seventh in 2025. He also earned points from four FP1 sessions; he did not complete enough mileage at Monza to qualify for one there.
Cadillac had initially expected Herta’s FP1 appearance at the Mexico Grand Prix to secure the licence. That calculation relied on an incorrect IndyCar standings position: the series website listed him sixth rather than seventh, resulting in two extra points being included. Cadillac had checked the calculation with the FIA earlier in the year, but the shortfall became clear during the Mexico GP weekend.
The team had already planned to give Herta another FP1 outing before the end of the year. He is among the leading candidates to replace Valtteri Bottas at Cadillac next season, but he needs a superlicence to take the seat. The Brazilian session is the first available chance to earn the missing point.
There is no guarantee he will secure it: Herta must complete at least 24 laps in FP1 to cover the 100 kilometres required. Cadillac is also investigating a major reliability problem from Mexico, where Bottas’s front-left suspension failed. The team has reported similar issues on Perez’s car earlier this year.
Sources: The Race.