Colton Herta has now secured enough points to get his Formula 1 superlicence and is eligible to drive full-time for Cadillac in 2027.
Herta has finally achieved the most important piece of paper that can decide his fate at the pinnacle of single-seater, open-wheel motorsport.
The American racing driver has racked up the required 40 points to qualify for an F1 superlicence.
Drivers can only compete in the sport if the FIA grants them the superlicence, and Herta had expected to complete these formalities at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez but for a bizarre miscalculation.
Cadillac were under the impression that after completing a 100km run at Mexico during FP1, the additional point granted by the FIA (drivers get an additional point for having completed a distance of 100km during an FP1 session) would have brought his tally up to 40.
But the IndyCar website had erroneously classified Herta having finished sixth in the championship last season when in fact he had finished seventh.
This meant that after re-calculations, Herta still needed one more point to qualify for his superlicence.
But with the 26-year-old taking part in FP1 at Interlagos on Friday and putting in a 24-lap count, Herta has finally achieved the requisite points to become eligible for a full-time race seat next season.
With Sergio Perez having signed a multi-year deal with the Silverstone-based team, it could be Valtteri Bottas who could make way for Herta’s rookie F1 season.
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