The FIA has formally rejected Colton Herta's super license bid.
noted that"the FIA continuously reviews its regulations and procedures, including with respect to superlicence eligibility, with the main factors being considered with respect to this topic being safety, experience and performance in the context of the pathway.
In theory, a system like that would force teams to hire junior drivers with merit only and eliminate the long-standing tradition of uncompetitive funded drivers taking up spots on the grid. The reality of the super license system is that the standard for Formula 1 participation is not particularly high. Nicholas Latifi,after a three-year run where he scored seven total points, qualified for his super license by finishing second in the weak 2019 Formula 2 field.
Herta will return to IndyCar with Andretti Autosport in 2023, but he may need to consider other avenues to secure a super license. The Andretti Autosport team has not been particularly competitive in the series over the past few years, particularly in 2022 where the program won just twice, and the last 10 series champions have been employed by either Chip Ganassi Racing or Team Penske. Herta cannot count on a necessary top three finish in the hyper-competitive category.