Will Buxton, a Formula 1 broadcaster and media personality, has sparked a new debate on the subject of the racing world by describing the FIA rule on super license as ridiculous and outmoded after a recent effort by Colton Herta to join F1 collapsed. With Herta being the most recognized and considered open-wheel talent in America, he has again been rejected in his pursuit of Formula 1, not due to performance, but due to paperwork.
Buxton didn’t mince words: When an IndyCar driver cannot even qualify, while F1 drivers are winning at the top level, it means that there is something inherently flawed about the system.
The Rule Under Fire
The heart of the war is the FIA Super License Points System, stemming from which drivers are required to attain 40 points in junior racing disciplines such as Formula 2, Formula 3, and recognized championships. IndyCar is not left out; however, the FIA gives fewer points to IndyCar results than to Formula 2, even though IndyCar is regarded as one of the highest-quality professional series.
This difference implies that even drivers like Herta, who have won several major global championship races, are still ineligible. Herta is a seven-time career IndyCar winner and is regarded as one of the most raw talents not in F1. However, by FIA regulations, a fourth-place F2 car driver will get more license points than the winner of an IndyCar race. Such an inconsistency has caused criticism around the world.
Why Herta’s Case Hits Hard
Just 24 years old, Herta is aggressive on the road and has already demonstrated the ability to be as fast as the world. Formula 1 teams have realized this. In 2022, he was associated with a seat at AlphaTauri, and more recently, but again, the move failed due to the same reason: the FIA was not going to grant a super license exemption.
As Formula 1 has continued to expand in the U.S., gaining races in Miami, Austin, and Las Vegas, it was anticipated that an American would soon join the sport. Rather, Herta has turned into an omen of a failed route to F1 for U.S. talent. Buxton referred to the case as a shame to the sport: It is expected to guarantee quality. Instead, it’s blocking it.”
The Swelling Chorus of Critics.
Buxton is not the only one to criticize. Several team insiders and former drivers testify that the FIA is giving preference to the European junior ladder when other external drivers are obviously elite. One of the principals of the team, who remained anonymous, said:The IndyCar is full of drivers of world-class standards. When F1 teams are allowed to sign rookies directly out of F2s, then how do they say that Colton Herta is ineligible?
Even ex-F1 drivers who are currently in IndyCar have taken their sides:
- According to Alexander Rossi, the system was broken.
- Marcus Ericsson termed it as unfair.
- Romain Grosjean claimed that F1 is losing talent due to politics.
What Herta Says
Herta has kept herself out of trouble; however, being frustrated, she only adds: One day, I would like to compete in Formula 1. But I can’t control the rules. I simply need to continue acting and leave whatever will happen. As it stands, he should remain in IndyCar until 2026 unless a team puts the FIA to the task in securing a dispensation, historically to no avail.
Will the FIA Make a Change?
On the outside, the FIA is pretending that the super license system safeguards the integrity of Formula 1. But the pressure is building for Buxton. F1 has fully invested in the market in the U.S and still has no American driver on the grid. Buxton does not lose sight of that contradiction:The super license system is not supposed to halt talent; it should safeguard it. At the present moment, it is doing just the reverse.
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