Why F1 team bosses want FIA to respect superlicence rules with Herta

The American driver has emerged as a candidate for an AlphaTauri seat should one become available if Pierre Gasly goes to Alpine.

Drivers need 40 points to get a superlicence based on their best three performances over the previous four seasons, with an extra year now included to cover the years affected by COVID-19.

Heading into 2023 Herta will only have 32 points based on his best three IndyCar championship results, and he can also gain points for any FP1 sessions he undertakes this year. However, he will still fall short of the required 40.

The FIA is currently considering how force majeure could be used to strengthen Herta’s case.

While the arrival of an American on the 2023 grid will potentially boost grand prix racing as a whole, team bosses have questioned how Herta could qualify.

“From my point of view it has nothing to do with force majeure,” said Alfa Romeo team principal Fred Vasseur when asked about Herta’s claim to a licence.

“Because you had championships everywhere in the world that you were able to score points.

“Now, if the FIA want to stop the process of the points and the superlicence, that’s another story.

“They can do it, it’s up to them to decide if they want to stop the system. And we can survive without the system. But it’s nothing to do for me with force majeure.

“We have a system that if we want to change or if someone has a proposal to change the point attribution, that we can discuss it.”

Vasseur stressed that the system was in place to keep up standards on the F1 grid.

“You have to keep in mind that when we made the decision about the superlicence and the points, it was to protect F1 and the drivers, to avoid to have 10 drivers coming in F1 with big budgets and no results in the past, and taking 50% of the grid,” he said.

“The reason of the decision was this one, we did it on purpose. And I think it was a good decision.

“Now it’s another question to see if we have to attribute different points to IndyCar or to F3 or F2. 

“And I don’t want to make any comparison, also, because from year to year, it’s completely different.”

Vasseur acknowledged that Alfa has previously looked into Herta’s case: “We had discussions last year with Andretti. It’s not a secret.

“Herta was on the table, and he was not eligible for a superlicence at this stage.”

Frederic Vasseur, Team Principal,…