Bottas unsure what Herta’s Super Licence means for the future

Valtteri Bottas understands why Colton Herta needed to secure his FIA Super Licence now, but says he does not know what the step means for the future as Herta becomes a potential challenger for his Cadillac seat.

Herta reached the 40-point threshold during opening practice at the São Paulo Grand Prix, covering more than 100 kilometres in Sergio Perez’s MAC-26. A driver must collect 40 Super Licence points within a rolling three-year window to be eligible to race in Formula 1.

Thirty of Herta’s points came from finishing second in the 2024 IndyCar championship. In 2026, he was entered with Hitech in Formula 2 and took part in six FP1 sessions, although his F2 campaign did not add to his Super Licence tally. IndyCar’s website initially placed him sixth in its 2025 standings, ahead of the corrected seventh-place classification. That error led Herta and Cadillac to believe he had reached 40 points at the Mexico City Grand Prix; the correction left him one point short.

Asked about Cadillac’s effort to help Herta, Bottas said that normally nothing should change for the future, while acknowledging the work involved. He said he understood why Herta needed to secure the licence in Brazil. “But for the future, I don't know,” Bottas added.