Colton Herta details Red Bull rollercoaster that derailed his F1 move

Colton Herta’s bid to jump from IndyCar to AlphaTauri in 2023 turned into a roller‑coaster of hope and disappointment. He had a contract, but with only 32 of the required 40 FIA super‑license points he couldn’t sign. On the Beyond the Grid podcast he described how Red Bull adviser Helmut Marko’s daily odds swung from 80 % to 40 % before an FIA exemption was denied.

Why it matters:

• An American on a Red Bull junior team would boost the brand’s U.S. driver pipeline and attract new fans.
• The episode highlights how the FIA’s 40‑point super‑license rule can instantly scuttle a promising F1 seat.

The details:

• Marko’s odds swung wildly: 80 % one day, 40 % the next, then back up to ~60 % after a brief reprieve.
• Herta held only 32 of the 40 required super‑license points, leaving an 8‑point shortfall.
• Red Bull sought an FIA exemption for the missing points; the governing body rejected it, ending the deal.
• Andretti Autosport welcomed Herta back to IndyCar, a move he calls “the right thing,” while he now races in F2 with Cadillac backing and logs four FP1 sessions.

What's next:

• Herta is targeting the 40‑point threshold with strong F2 results and Cadillac’s FP1 outings, starting in Barcelona.
• If he secures the points before the 2025 season, Cadillac could promote him to a full‑time F1 seat, keeping the Red Bull‑linked American pathway alive.