F1.Colton Herta will be at the wheel of the 2021 McLaren MCL35M as part of a newly-announced developmental deal established between the 21-year-old and the Woking-based outfit.
Zak Brown’s vision strikes again. An IndyCar star will test out a four-race-winning McLaren and officially enters the extended family of the team, perhaps paving the way for American talents to have a direct outlet to F1. Herta, a six-time race winner and seven-time pole sitter in IndyCar, holds a contract with Andretti Autosport for the 2023 season and will keep focusing on his overseas campaigns.
“Colton is a proven talent in IndyCar and we will be interested to see how he adapts to a Formula 1 car” said McLaren Team Principal Andreas Seidl.
“We believe this testing programme will provide him with valuable experience while demonstrating the benefit of expanding previous car testing to showcase promising drivers for the future.”
“I want to thank McLaren for the opportunity to get my first laps in a Formula 1 car, which has always been on my racing bucket list” said Herta.
“This will be a great opportunity for me to gain some valuable experience in a new form of motorsport and learn from such an established team like McLaren.”
McLaren has become the land of opportunity in terms of creating diverse pathways to Formula 1, taking advantage of its US-based links. What seeps through this enlightening deal is the fact that it appears to be part of a masterplan that may go beyond Andretti’s plans and interests to extend its sporting programme to Formula 1. The Californian sensation scored a total of 32 superlicense points throughout his three IndyCar seasons, being 8 points away to being allowed to race in Formula 1, and emerged as America’s number one contender for a seat in the Pinnacle of Motorsport.
As reported by RACER, Herta’s move is labelled as an addition and will not prevent Pato O’Ward from obtaining further testing opportunities. Therefore, it seems that the intention from McLaren to make top-tier American series and Formula 1 cross paths through on-track sessions and support is there and it might start a revolution which, on the long term, might cause the single-seater ladder system go haywire.
F1-Autore: Beatrice Zamuner – @beafunoat
Foto: McLaren
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