Red Bull only wants IndyCar driver Colton Herta as a possible replacement for Pierre Gasly, who in turn could switch to Alpine. If Herta does not get an exemption from the FIA super licence, the deal with Alpine will not go through.
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko said Red Bull had already reached an initial agreement with Alpine to let Gasly go, but Hertha should then be able to race in Formula 1. The 22-year-old American has 32 of the 40 points needed to advance Apply for a super license. Without this super license, the driver cannot race in Formula 1.
Red Bull is now hoping the FIA will make the exception, although that may also depend on criticism from team bosses and Formula 1 chief Stefano Domenicali. “This is an FIA issue,” said team principal Christian Horner. “We need clarification on the super licensing points. We hope they arrive soon, because that plays a major role in this musical chair.”
Read also: Herta could count on a seat in the AlphaTauri, but should hope to get an exemption from the FIA
Red Bull doesn’t seem to be looking at talent on the coaching team, which includes Liam Lawson, Ayumu Iwasa and Jüri Vips, but all eyes are on Herta. “He’s a great talent. He’s a young American who excels in the States, so it will be interesting to see how he performs in Formula 1.”
Horner continues: “Of course, Formula 1 is getting more and more popular in the US, so having a successful American driver could be very interesting. It could be interesting for us in the long run.”
Read also: Domenicali does not wait for an exception for Hertha
On the other hand, Horner also knows that AlphaTauri and Gasly reached an agreement earlier this year for 2023. “We have contracts with our current drivers, but AlphaTauri has also produced a lot of talent, be it Sebastian (Vettel, editor), Max (Verstappen, editor) or Daniel (Ricciardo, editor)”.
Is there an alternative to Hertha? “Pierre is doing well at AlphaTauri. So I don’t think there would be a desire to change if there was no interesting option available,” explains Horner, whether it’s Herta or nothing.
