Investing in $1.5 Million Worth American Driver Colton Herta Could Solve F1’s Problems- Including the Messy Driver’s Market

There’s hardly a doubt that the United States is one of the largest markets for Formula 1. With two races in Miami and Las Vegas added in two years, the sport has seen a sharp rise in the fanbase in the last few years. However, is there anything F1 can do more to rise to a whole new level? Well, yes, and the answer is Colton Herta, amidst all these messy driver’s markets this season.

Despite having three races in a calendar year from 2023 and one team, the United States lacks an important representative of the sport, a US-based driver. One driver from the United States could bring a lot more fans to the sport, as well as sponsors and popularity.

Colton Herta is one of the most promising single-seater drivers the country has ever produced. Only 22 years old, Herta could be the next big thing in F1 coming out of the North American country.

Currently, a driver for Andretti Autosport in IndyCar Series, this young American driver could be the reason for a sharp rise in viewership in America.

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Even though the F1 fanbase had a significant rise in the North American country, thanks to Netflix’s Drive to Survive, it isn’t enough. Given the huge number of motorsport fans the country already has, there’s a high potential that a US-based driver could be a befitting solution.

Why isn’t Colton Herta in F1 yet?

The primary reason why Herta didn’t make it to the F1 yet is the lack of a seat. F1 being a highly competitive sport, it’s not that easy for a driver to fetch a seat on any team. However, there’s a chance for young Americans to get into the sport.

According to F1 broadcaster Will Buxton, “Herta’s name is still being mentioned loudly as a Gasly replacement but the FIA will need to fudge the superlicense points. I see 3 options.”

“1.) He does 6 FP1s this year taking him to 38 and the FIA let the last 2 points slide. 2.) FIA allows full points for his Indy Lights season and he races Abu Dhabi 2022. 3.) FIA gives Indycar a more representative SL point allocation and retroactively enforces it,” Buxton shared on his official Twitter handle.

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There are ample examples of how a driver can boost the fanbase from where they belong. The likes of Max Verstappen, Robert Kubica, Yuki Tsunoda, Zhou Guanyu, and Sergio Perez tell us the story.

It’ll be interesting to see if Colton Herta can bring the same impact to the United States if he joins F1.