Exclusive
No Herta, but perhaps another American at Andretti-Cadillac?
- Ludo van Denderen
It has been quiet for several weeks around the possible entry of Andretti-Cadillac onto the Formula 1 grid. Michael Andretti's team is awaiting a decision from F1, but it is unclear when that will fall. It is expected that it could even take until mid-2024 for a decision. Meanwhile, Andretti continues to work on building his team. The intended drivers are also a topic of discussion internally.
Andretti-Cadillac has never made a secret of the fact that Colton Herta (23) is one of the F1 team's intended drivers. The American currently competes in IndyCar on behalf of Andretti. He could have already driven in Formula 1, but a move to AlphaTauri fell through. This is because Herta does not have the required Super Licence.
It is highly doubtful whether Herta will eventually have enough points to get a Super licence. During last season, Herta made little impression, resulting in 10th place in the final ranking. That was one place better than his teammate Kyle Kirkwood (25), who also does not have a Super licence. The former Indy Lights champion did manage to win two races. He is seen in America as a driver with a bright future.
Andretti wants to keep all options open
GPblog during an exclusive interview asked Mario Andretti, Michael's father and very involved in his son's racing teams, whether Kirkwood is now seen as a potential F1 driver for their team? "This is something that you have to keep evaluating. Things can change. So you have to keep your options open. They're doing exactly that."
"Let's be cautious and take the opportunity at the proper moment and keep these individuals. Let them know that they have to earn their way. That's the best way to go about it. So, when it comes to the driver lineup, I'm certainly not the one that will make the final decision. I can give advice, but the final decision is Michael's," who then confirmed that Kirkwood is currently an interesting driver at the moment.