It was already known last month that the FIA had received a request to alter its superlicence rules to let Andrea Kimi Antonelli make his Formula 1 debut before he turns 18.
But even without that it wouldn’t have been hard to guess who was intended to benefit from the latest changes to the International Sporting Code’s rules regarding superlicences. Note that’s ‘changes’, plural – for not one but two alterations to the licence rules were needed to open a door for Antonelli.
The dispensation to the maximum age limit has gained the most attention. Just eight years ago the FIA told us anyone younger than 18 years old wasn’t allowed to race in F1 any more, but now they will grant a dispensation to a 17-year-old if, in the FIA’s view, they have “recently and consistently demonstrated outstanding ability and maturity in single-seater formula car competition.”
However a further change on top of that also means superlicence holders no longer need to hold road driving licences. This is significant for Antonelli as the minimum driving age in Italy is 18 years, and if that troublesome line hadn’t been deleted he was still facing another two months of Formula 2.
The FIA’s has reacted differently to this request for Antonelli – a Mercedes junior driver, though the team says it did not make a request to the FIA – and Red Bull’s attempt to get a superlicence for Andretti IndyCar driver Colton Herta for the 2023 season.
Herta only failed to make the grade on one count rather than two. He satisfied the age limit and all other criteria besides the requirement to score 40 superlicence points – awarded by his results in various series – over a three-year period.
This requirement was altered for the pandemic-affected 2020 season to allow drivers to count the points scored in a year when movement was not as severely restricted. However Red Bull’s hopes the FIA would overlook Herta’s superlicence points shortfall were dashed, and they instead hired Nyck de Vries, who lasted less than half a season before being dropped.
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Herta and several of his IndyCar peers were unimpressed he did not automatically qualify for a superlicence despite his success in the series. Today’s news prompted further dismayed responses. “Oh, so exceptions can be made?” Alexander Rossi asked.
Strictly and…
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