Colton Herta has secured the final superlicence point required to compete in Formula 1 after completing his sixth Friday practice session of the 2026 season at Interlagos. The American driver reached the 100km threshold to earn his 40th point, allowing the Cadillac Formula 1 team to keep its options open regarding a 2027 debut. Cadillac had previously believed Herta had met the requirement in Mexico, but an error regarding his Indy Car results left him one point short. The US-owned squad rectified the situation by arranging an additional FP1 session in Sergio Perez's car.
Despite Herta's progress, Valtteri Bottas remains confident of retaining his seat for 2027. The Finnish driver dismissed rumors surrounding his future, stating the team has been happy with his performance. Bottas acknowledged the challenging debut season with the Cadillac MAC-26, citing a high-speed accident in Mexico due to suspension failure. He emphasized that bigger problems exist within the team currently. Meanwhile, Cadillac continues to evaluate its driver lineup, with other candidates like Frederik Vesti also in consideration as the board prepares to make final decisions on the future driver arrangement.
Source: Autosport F1 News · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing