Herta gets one more shot at Brazil. Cadillac puts the final Super Licence point within reach. Interlagos could move his F1 ambitions a step closer.
Colton Herta will drive Cadillac’s MAC-26 in Friday practice at the Brazilian Grand Prix, replacing Sergio Pérez for his sixth Formula 1 practice appearance this season. He needs one more point to meet the FIA’s 40-point Super Licence threshold. The opportunity follows confusion over his IndyCar results, after Cadillac thought he had reached the mark in Mexico. A hydraulic failure at Monza had already cut short one attempt, leaving him below the required 100km for a session to count. At Interlagos, 24 laps should cover that distance.
It is more than a rookie run: a clean session would clear a formal hurdle and keep Herta’s F1 debut in 2027 on the table. Cadillac must still decide whether to retain Valtteri Bottas alongside Pérez or promote the American. For now, the job is precise: complete the mileage, deliver useful setup feedback and secure the final licence point.
Colton Herta’s Brazilian Grand Prix practice chance
The extra outing goes beyond the standard rookie requirement. Teams must field a rookie in four practice sessions each season, but Cadillac has now given Herta six as it builds his experience and works to resolve the licence shortfall. His programme has included private testing and Friday runs, alongside a difficult F2 campaign as he shifts towards Formula 1.
Herta said he feels more at home in the car after outings from Barcelona to Budapest, COTA and Mexico City. At Interlagos, he plans to follow the run schedule cleanly and give Pérez and the engineers a sound data baseline for the weekend. That feedback matters to Cadillac’s longer-term work, not just the point on his licence.
How Interlagos can secure Herta’s FIA Super Licence point
The FIA awards the point only if Herta completes at least 100 kilometres in the session without an incident that disqualifies the run. Around 24 laps at Interlagos should meet the distance requirement, making mileage and reliability the immediate priorities. His Monza attempt fell short after a hydraulic fault stopped the car after just five laps.
Cadillac believed the American had cleared the threshold in Mexico, but a review of his past IndyCar results showed he remained one point short. The team now has a straightforward remedy: put him in Pérez’s car and complete the required distance. Readers can find more on the FIA Super Licence points system and the demands it places on drivers moving between series.
Cadillac’s driver choices and Herta’s F1 debut prospects
The licence chase gives Cadillac flexibility as it weighs its 2027 line-up. Bottas remains in contention for a second season alongside Pérez, while a successful Friday would leave Herta eligible for a race seat. The team’s options reflect the scale of its new project; its place on the grid is already reshaping the driver conversation, as explored in this report on Cadillac’s arrival in Formula 1.
Cadillac also arrives in Brazil after a difficult Mexico weekend, where Bottas suffered a high-speed crash following a sudden front-left suspension failure. Team principal Marcin Budkowski said the team had implemented measures after investigating the failure, while praising Herta’s progress and feedback for the 2027 development programme. A clean, productive session would answer two needs at once: protect the weekend’s preparation and bring Herta within reach of his licence.
