Colton Herta Has His F1 Super Licence, but Valtteri Bottas Isn’t Worried

Colton Herta has taken a decisive step in his career towards Formula 1. The American Cadillac driver completed at the Brazilian Grand Prix his sixth free practice session of the season, which allowed him to reach the required 100 kilometers and obtain the last Super License point he was missing. A procedure that seemed resolved last week in Mexico but that finally needed one more session in Interlagos to be confirmed, now with the license in his pocket Herta is officially qualified to compete in the top category and Cadillac already has on the table the possibility of promoting him in 2027.

The American team's investment in Herta has been notable. Since his arrival as a test driver, Cadillac has organized multiple FP1 sessions for him, supported his adaptation to Formula 1 cars, and corrected administrative errors to ensure he met FIA requirements. Everything indicates that the team wants to have him ready to make the jump as soon as possible, however the path is not clear: Valtteri Bottas has a contract for 2027 and does not seem willing to give up his seat without a fight.

"I was quite surprised by the amount of noise about it, because I know what my situation is and everything I have heard is that the team is happy with what I am doing...but at the same time, we know how this sport works. Everyone wants to be in F1 and if someone sees an opportunity somewhere they are going to try to take advantage of it one way or another, but the way our team is structured and the way decisions are made for the future, everything needs to be approved by the board and I think that meeting has not yet been held. I am convinced that nothing has changed" Bottas declared at Thursday's press conference in Interlagos.

The Finn has had a complicated season since his performance has been below that of his teammate Sergio Pérez, but he has also dealt with numerous problems in the Cadillac MAC 26, the most recent a high speed crash in Mexico due to a suspension failure, despite this Bottas insists that his experience and his work capacity are still valued by the team.

"I think those who know, know. That is what I feel and I have good support from that side, we have bigger problems to solve than the drivers at the moment and I think Mexico was a good example. The team knows what it can get from me if everything works well but so far, they really haven't delivered a car with which I can do much but honestly, that was always what I somehow expected for the first year. I came here to try to improve things for the future, definitely not with the mentality of fighting for my seat" the 37 year old driver added.

The final decision is in the hands of Cadillac's board: Herta, with the Super License already in his possession, pushes for a seat, Bottas with a contract and experience, defends his position... meanwhile Pérez, for his part, has his future assured until 2029.

The American team faces a complicated decision that will mark its lineup for the 2027 season, meanwhile on track both drivers continue working to improve the Cadillac's performance and score the first points in its history in Formula 1.