Herta gets Brazil FP1 to chase final superlicence point

Colton Herta is set to replace Sergio Pérez in Cadillac’s first practice session at the São Paulo Grand Prix, giving him another chance to reach the points threshold for a Formula 1 superlicence.

According to The Race, the American will make his sixth FP1 appearance of 2026 in Brazil. He remains on 39 points, one short of the required 40, after a correction to the IndyCar results used in Cadillac’s calculations.

Why Mexico did not settle Herta’s eligibility

Cadillac had expected Herta’s Mexico City practice outing to complete his points requirement. The complication concerned his final position in the 2025 IndyCar championship.

Autosport reported that the FIA confirmed Herta should be counted as seventh, worth four superlicence points, rather than sixth, which would have earned six.

His reported total comprises:

• 2023 IndyCar: one point for 10th.
• 2024 IndyCar: 30 points for second.
• 2025 IndyCar: four points for seventh.
• Qualifying F1 practice appearances: four points.

That adds up to 39. The Race also reports that his Monza outing did not meet the mileage requirement, so five FP1 appearances have produced four points.

The practice point still has to be earned

The FIA’s 2026 Appendix L allows a Free Practice Only Super Licence holder to earn one additional point per F1 event by completing at least 100km in a free practice session without receiving penalty points.

The rules permit up to ten such points for an application, added to qualifying championship results independently of the calendar year in which the practice running took place.

A qualifying São Paulo outing would therefore take Herta to 40 points. That would satisfy the points requirement rather than automatically issue the licence: the application and the FIA’s other conditions would still apply.

Herta joins a wider group of stand-in drivers scheduled for Interlagos practice, including Gabriele Minì in Pierre Gasly’s Alpine.

A 2027 race seat remains a separate decision

The Race identifies Herta as a contender to replace Valtteri Bottas next season. Reaching the superlicence threshold would remove an obstacle to that possibility, but would not confirm a promotion.

Cadillac’s alternatives have also featured in our coverage of George Russell’s backing for Frederik Vesti. For Herta, the immediate task is to complete the qualifying practice distance before attention turns to the team’s driver decision.