IndyCar talent belongs in Formula One: 'Has proven he can do it'

13 February 2022 at 12:55

Last update 13 February 2022 at 16:11

GPblog.com

Colton Herta suddenly came into the picture for a Formula 1 seat due to the possible acquisition of Alfa Romeo by Andretti. Despite the fact that this deal eventually fell through, Herta still deserves a chance in Formula 1, according to colleague Josef Newgarden.

Colton Herta may continue to hope

By now it has been several months, but back in October, there was a long talk about a possible acquisition of Alfa Romeo by Michael Andretti, who is at the helm of Andretti's racing team. The move to Formula One seemed likely, but eventually, the two parties confirmed that the deal was off.

The talks about the deal also created rumours about the second driver at Alfa Romeo. Herta, a great American talent and IndyCar driver for Andretti's team, came into the picture pretty quickly through the talks about the takeover. With the takeover not happening, his dream seemed to be falling apart, but Newgarden believes that the driver from California still has a chance.

"I think people should be looking at Colton as just a really great driver that’s in kind of the prime of his young career and has proven that he’s probably got the ability to run at the top level of Formula 1," Newgarden told the The Race IndyCar podcast.

'Must be given a chance'

The American driver previously indicated that it's hard for IndyCar drivers to get into Formula One, and even in this situation, the Nashville driver baulks at the fact that he doesn't just get on the Formula One grid. "Someone like a Colton Herta, without the help of Andretti to bring him to Formula 1, should be able to legitimately have a shot at Formula 1," he said. As such, he hopes Herta can drive at a Formula One team sometime in the next few years.