Herta sr. hopes son Colton doesn't get an exception from the FIA

Bryan Herta says he hopes his son Colton Herta does not get a special exemption for a super license. The American driver is in Red Bull Racing's sights, but he does not yet have enough Super Licence points to join sister team AlphaTauri.

Red Bull are interested in Colton Herta and are said to have already reached an agreement with the driver. The American is expected to replace Pierre Gasly at AlphaTauri, allowing the Frenchman to continue his career at Alpine. Herta does not have enough points for a super license, so officially he is not allowed to race in Formula 1. Red Bull is working hard behind the scenes to get the IndyCar driver an exemption.

No exemption for Herta

Father Bryan hopes his son will not get a special dispensation and thinks he should 'earn it the right way'. "It’s incredible and it says a lot that Colton is getting attention from other paddocks, and I think it’s great," Herta senior said in conversation with NBC Sports. "The Super License points are the FIA, and they make the rules, and you have to respect and follow the rules."

Incidentally, father Bryan does think Colton deserves a chance to drive Formula One. "When that sometime is, I don’t know," Herta said. Herta's family is not pushing the FIA to give Colton an exemption, as Herta senior says that could be unfair to other people.

Divided opinions in the paddock

In the Formula One paddock, opinions are divided. Obviously Red Bull and AlphaTauri hope Herta gets the green light from the FIA to enter in 2023. Dutch driver Nyck de Vries is against an exemption for Herta. According to the former Formula E champion he should just stick to the rules.