Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing F1 team points out that in the current system of rules to obtain a F1 super license, Red Bull Racing driver and current world champion Max Verstappen and retired driver Kimi Raikkonen would not have obtained a super license. This came to light due to the struggles faced by Colton Herta in obtaining a F1 super license.
This traces back to when Red Bull agreed to release Pierre Gasly from his 2024 contract to join Alpine F1 team, but only if Colton Herta, a multiple IndyCar race winner replaces him in the Alpha Tauri seat. Herta currently has 32 out of the required 40 super license points, and FIA stated that it would not make any exceptions for the Americans.
Mclaren on Super License
Zak Brown and Red Bull’s Helmut Marko both prompted in different ways that it’s “incomprehensible” for a winner of 7 IndyCar races is not able to get a super license, and that FIA rules to obtain a super license need to be reviewed as IndyCar seems to be undervalued.
Champions of both IndyCar and Formula 2 get the required 40 points to obtain an F1 super license but from 2nd position and under there’s a major difference between points obtained by IndyCar drivers versus Formula 1’s main feeder division drivers, despite the talent IndyCar carries.
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