Herta reaches superlicence threshold as Cadillac weighs 2027 options

Colton Herta has reached the 40-point threshold needed for an FIA superlicence during first practice at Interlagos, several outlets report, opening the possibility of a Cadillac race seat in 2027.

RacingNews365 reports that Herta drove Sergio Perez's Cadillac for 24 laps, reaching 100km and earning a superlicence point with seven minutes remaining. Rookie stand-in drivers receive one point for completing 100km in a first practice session.

Motorsport.com reports that Cadillac is considering either retaining Valtteri Bottas alongside Perez for a second season or handing Herta his Formula 1 debut.

RacingNews365 reports that Bottas has a multi-year deal covering 2027, but Cadillac has not formally triggered the option.

"I'm quite surprised about the amount of noise on that because I know what my situation is, and yeah, all I've heard is that the team has been happy with what I'm doing," said Cadillac driver Valtteri Bottas.

"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 believe that meeting is still yet to happen. I've been convinced nothing has changed," Bottas said.

"That was kind of always the deal, and all season I've been really following instructions, and sometimes it has been very clear that I should just try and get the car over the finish line," Bottas said.

The FIA confirmed after Mexico City first practice that Herta remained on 39 points. RacingNews365 reports that the IndyCar website had incorrectly listed him sixth rather than seventh in the previous season's championship, leaving him with four points for that finish instead of the six originally thought.

Cadillac has expressed an ambition to field an American driver. Herta, a 26-year-old American, is a nine-time IndyCar winner.