Colton Herta finally made a breakthrough at the Music City Grand Prix at the end of a very long IndyCar season.
In fact, he made two – securing his first-ever oval win, and first top-two finish in the championship for the Andretti team.
It would’ve been a way more significant result a few years ago – back when he was in the hunt for a Formula 1 drive with AlphaTauri.
The top two in the IndyCar standings receive the super licence points to be permitted to drive in Formula 1, which feels harsh on drivers finishing between third and at least sixth considering the similarities between the series.
Colton Herta thinks that IndyCar is ‘disrespected’
Herta isn’t in the frame for a drive in Formula 1 anymore, meaning that the points he has accumulated now would’ve been handier to have back in 2021.
He was a good enough driver to compete in the pinnacle of motorsport back then, but to this day, the FIA continues to award a surprisingly low number of super licence points to IndyCar competitors.
It doesn’t look set to change any time soon either, but is a situation where a change could be forced over the coming years as the popularity of IndyCar increases.
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Speaking to The Race, Herta discussed how he believes that IndyCar doesn’t receive the respect that it warrants.
“It’s nice to have one I guess,” he said. “I think it’s disrespectful for IndyCar how underrepresented it is. But all these things we know and talked about three years ago.”
Can Herta go one step further in IndyCar?
Ultimately, Herta fell 31 points short of claiming a maiden IndyCar title in a season where he finished in the top 10 at all but four races.
Let down by performances at the Indianapolis 500 (where he spun), Detroit (despite starting on pole) and Milwaukee, he very easily could have been champion in 2024.
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It’s encouraging for his hopes next year though, entering his sixth season with Andretti – a team that he knows the ins and outs of very well now.
At the age of 24, he’s primed for a few more years of competing at the top of the field as long as the has the machinery to allow him to.
He might even be Alex Palou’s nearest competitor for the next decade as long as both are in the series for that long…