A waiver for the Super Licence for Herta would be possible
The rumors continue regarding driver transfers. And there is no shortage of contenders to replace certain drivers. This is the case with IndyCar driver Colton Herta being rumored to be sent to AlphaTauri.
With the possible departure of Gasly from AlphaTauri to Alpine, a seat is vacant at Alpha. IndyCar driver Colton Herta is considered for the position. In order to do so, he must obtain a super license.
The super license is essential to be able to race in a Formula 1 team. It is the highest title a racing driver can have. It was introduced in 1984 so that the selected drivers have the necessary skills to drive a Formula 1 car.
Several conditions are essential to obtain the super license. You must have a driving license, have a degree A title, have obtained 40 points over 3 years, or be 18 years old.
The points are obtained so that the best single-seater drivers can participate in the Formula 1 championship. Thus, the higher one is ranked in the competition they are involved in, the more points they win. The Indycar and Formula 2 bring the most points to qualify for a Super License.
Herta meets several of these criteria. However, this is not the case for the points criterion. Nevertheless, he is not far off with 32 points from his best 3 results between 2019 and 2022. He can still earn points by participating in FP1 sessions. However, he can only earn 6 points from the remaining ones. This would only bring him to a total of 38 points out of the required 40.
But Herta could then request a waiver from the FIA to obtain the super license. If he requests the super license this year, the years taken into account will be from 2018 to 2021. With a 2nd place in the Indy Lights that would earn him 12 points, he would reach exactly 40 points. However, there is a small problem, the championship was contested by only 7 drivers and that might not pass with the FIA.
If the FIA accepts these points, then the driver will receive the super license. But this could lead to discontent within the various championships. The FIA would be circumventing its own regulations and drivers in pursuit of the super license would be discouraged. The teams that are trying to promote their young drivers towards the super license would also want explanations.
