Qualities of Herta not to be underestimated: 'He is a racer'

Colton Herta does not yet seem to have a chance in Formula 1 next season. While he was among Pierre Gasly's possible successors at AlphaTauri for a long time, a partnership does not seem to be in the cards any time soon. Mario Andretti tells F1-insider.com that his qualities, however, should not be underestimated.

The son of former racing driver Bryan Herta has been active in the IndyCar Series for several seasons. Between early 2019 and late 2020, he was part of the Harding Steinbrenner Racing team, while the past two seasons he drove for Andretti Autosport.

Andretti therefore experienced him up close and gives him a big compliment in the interview. "You can't teach anyone to be fast. You either have it in you or you don't," says the former Formula One world champion. "There are some good drivers, great ones too, and then there are the racers. Those are the ones who really have it. And he is a racer."

However, a move to Formula 1 is not yet a possibility. For now, Herta has 32 points on his super licence, while 40 are needed to enter the motorsport class. Earlier, AlphaTauri tried to apply for an exemption together with Herta, but the request was rejected by the FIA.