Herta still one superlicence point short, gets Sao Paulo FP1 run
According to The Race, Cadillac reserve Colton Herta is still at 39 of the 40 superlicence points he needs after a points error, and will drive in first practice at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. RacingNews365 also expects another outing for him.
A point that did not count
Colton Herta's route to a Formula 1 race seat has one more hurdle. Just days after reports said he had reached the 40 superlicence points required, The Race writes that the Cadillac reserve is still on 39. The team plans to give him another first-practice session at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, taking Sergio Perez's car, to collect the last point. RacingNews365 also says Herta is expected to get another Friday outing in Brazil so that he can finally qualify for the licence.
What went wrong
According to The Race, the shortfall comes from an error on an IndyCar website, which listed Herta sixth in the 2025 championship instead of seventh. That overstated his total by two points, and Cadillac had reportedly checked the figure with the FIA earlier in the year. The Race breaks his tally down as one point for tenth in the 2023 IndyCar standings, 30 for runner-up in 2024, four for seventh in 2025, and points from four first-practice outings.
He also missed a point at Monza, where his session ended early with technical trouble before he had covered enough distance. A driver earns a point in first practice by completing at least 100 km, which The Race puts at 24 laps in Sao Paulo. That means the point is not guaranteed: a red flag or a mechanical problem could cost him again.
Why it matters
Herta is described by The Race as a leading contender to replace Valtteri Bottas at Cadillac for 2027, which would require a licence. Cadillac has re-signed Perez through 2029 but has announced nothing about the second seat. In Mexico City, Bottas's front-left suspension failed in the race; the team is investigating, according to The Race.
By the numbers
Our OpenF1 data shows Herta completed 30 laps in Mexico City first practice, enough for the distance threshold on that day. He finished the session 22nd and last, 3.237 s behind Charles Leclerc's 1:18.128, with a best lap of 1:21.365. Reserve drivers in practice usually run test programmes, so lap times say little.
The Sao Paulo weekend is the next chance: the Brazilian Grand Prix is on 8 November.
