Red Bull boss Christian Horner is ready to collaborate on a potential transfer from Pierre Gasly to Alpine and has named IndyCar driver Colton Herta as the best replacement. There are still some obstacles in the way, because Herta does not yet have the necessary number of super license points.
The musical chairs inside the royal class are slowly coming to an end. Kicked off by Sebastian Vettel in early August. Fernando Alonso will defend the colors of Aston Martin next season, leaving a seat at Alpine, as Oscar Piastre moves to McLaren. The French stable would like to capture Gasly from AlphaTauri, but it will not be smooth sailing between him and Esteban Ocon. Herta is pictured at AlphaTauri and only when the American gets the go-ahead will Red Bull be willing to let Gasly go. Team Leader Horner deduces Motorsport.com What is the current situation.
Herta on the radar
Herta is the youngest IndyCar winner ever, thus comparisons to Max Verstappen can be drawn. However, the American royal class is different and a direct comparison is always difficult. Thus, the FIA is handing out fewer points for an IndyCar Series victory at which point you will now fail. Herta likes to make the switch, but he lacks the points necessary to get started.
Now that Formula 1 is so popular in America, the question is when a driver from this country will appear on the grid again. The sport welcomes the arrival of a rider from the United States, but adheres to the rules regarding super license points. “This is a problem for the FIA, we just need to clarify which drivers have points and hopefully that will come sooner or later. This plays an important role in changing the drivers who are on the agenda,” explains Horner.
Herta’s talent
The paperwork still has to be done, but according to Horner, that says nothing of the American driver’s talent. “He’s a young American who has proven himself exceptionally well in the States and it will be very interesting to see how he performs in Formula 1,” Horner said. Of course it is interesting for marketing to hire a driver from the United States. Horner: “Of course the sport is growing so fast in America right now, it might be interesting to have a good American driver. That’s a very attractive option for us in the long run.” However, he also has to perform in the car, otherwise it’s still a bad buy, but the Red Bull boss isn’t worried about that. “She’s a very, very great talent,” Horner concludes.
