Herta's talks with Marko pay off after all: pay rise

Colton Herta seemed close to getting a Formula 1 seat, but AlphaTauri has since shifted its sights to another driver (reportedly Nyck de Vries). That it will not come to a debut in the pinnacle of motorsport in 2023 may be a minor disappointment for the American, but talks with Helmut Marko have not been in vain.

Extra pocket money Herta

In conversation with Auto, Motor und Sport Indeed, Marko let it be known that Herta will race in IndyCar next year under improved conditions. "Andretti has improved the offer for Herta to let him stay," he said. In other words, thanks to the conversations with Red Bull Racing/AlphaTauri, Herta will be credited with more money in 2023. Exactly how much money is involved is not known.

Not having a super licence ultimately meant that Herta will have to wait at least another year for his chance in Formula 1, if that chance comes at all. Meanwhile, Herta will become the figurehead of Andretti Motorsport next year. With the departure of Alexander Rossi, Herta will be the big man at the American team next season. Andretti absolutely did not want to lose Herta.

Herta and contracts

Marko's talks in recent weeks were only with the Herta camp itself. The 22-year-old driver also had ongoing contracts with Andretti and McLaren, but Red Bull did not want to venture into those. "They have to sort out their commitments with McLaren and Andretti themselves if they want to come to us," was Marko's message.

In addition to his 'normal' contract with Andretti, Herta also still has a testing contract with McLaren. Zak Brown was keen to give Herta a chance to take part in first free practice in Formula 1, but this eventually crossed a line when it became clear that the American was in talks with AlphaTauri.