Colton Herta has moved closer to securing the FIA Super Licence required to race in Formula 1 after completing another practice session for Cadillac at the 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix. The American was initially believed to have reached the necessary points threshold, potentially opening the door to a full-time seat in 2027 at the expense of Valtteri Bottas. However, a subsequent correction to his points calculation means he remains one point short of eligibility.
The 26-year-old Californian was among the numerous young drivers taking part in Friday’s opening practice session at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. Unlike many of the other rookies, Colton Herta had a particularly important objective: completing enough laps to earn another Super Licence point and strengthen his prospects of joining the Formula 1 grid next season.
Colton Herta completes Mexico GP FP1 requirement but remains short of Super Licence
Colton Herta needed to complete at least 24 laps, equivalent to the minimum 100 kilometres required to earn a Super Licence point from a Formula 1 practice session. Initial reports credited the Cadillac driver with 26 laps, sufficient to meet the mileage requirement, although later session reports recorded 30 completed laps.
The American finished near the bottom of the timesheets, setting the second-slowest time in the session. Nevertheless, the priority was covering the required distance rather than achieving a competitive lap time, particularly given the importance of the additional Super Licence point to his future ambitions.
The result initially appeared to mark a breakthrough after a difficult 2026 Formula 2 campaign. Colton Herta currently occupies 19th position in the junior championship standings, well below the level expected when he moved from IndyCar to pursue his Formula 1 ambitions.
However, subsequent checks revealed that the original Super Licence calculation had been incorrect. An error involving his classification in the 2025 IndyCar standings meant that the Mexican practice appearance took him to 39 points rather than the required 40. As a result, he still needs another qualifying FP1 appearance or another eligible source of points before he can meet the threshold for a full Formula 1 Super Licence.
Could Colton Herta replace Valtteri Bottas at Cadillac in 2027?
Colton Herta’s progress towards Super Licence eligibility could prove important in the developing 2027 Formula 1 driver market. Speculation has increasingly linked the Californian with replacing Valtteri Bottas, with reports suggesting that Cadillac management, encouraged by parent company General Motors, is considering promoting an American driver into a full-time race seat.
The prospect of an American competing for an American Formula 1 team would provide Cadillac and its commercial partners with a compelling opportunity. However, Colton Herta would also need to improve his performances significantly to demonstrate that he is ready to compete at the highest level.
His difficult Formula 2 season remains a concern, despite the experience gained through his practice appearances for Cadillac. The team must therefore weigh the appeal of promoting its American prospect against the experience offered by Valtteri Bottas and the demands of developing its Formula 1 operation.
Cadillac’s 2027 options have also prompted discussion of other potential candidates, including Ferrari junior Rafael Câmara as a possible alternative to Colton Herta. No final decision to replace Valtteri Bottas has been confirmed.
One more step remains before Colton Herta can race in Formula 1
For Colton Herta, the immediate priority is now to secure the final Super Licence point. What had initially been expected to be a decisive milestone in Mexico has become another delay in a process that has proved considerably more difficult than anticipated at the beginning of the year.
Nevertheless, his participation in Mexico brought him closer to meeting the FIA’s eligibility requirements. If he completes the necessary running during another eligible practice session, the American could finally remove the regulatory obstacle that has complicated his Formula 1 ambitions.
That would not automatically guarantee a Cadillac race seat for 2027. The decision would still depend on the team’s assessment of his performances and its plans for the driver line-up, with Valtteri Bottas’ future remaining uncertain.
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