| I share in Colton Herta’s surprise at being linked to an AlphaTauri F1 drive in 2023, not because it would be an odd decision regarding his ability or potential, but you’d think Red Bull has plenty of other internal candidates from its Junior Team. Of course, there is some previous form: Scott Speed was the product of its search for an American F1 driver and it plucked Sebastien Bourdais from IndyCar too. I even wonder if it’s simply teasing Alpine with the possibility of allowing Pierre Gasly to join – ‘Oh, sorry chaps, turns out we just simply can’t replace him after all… It's the FIA's fault!’ Back to Herta: Speaking to those around him, they rave about his approach and aptitude when the visor comes down. Personally, I believe he’d be a great addition to the grid – and just what Liberty Media, Netflix, Austin, Miami, Las Vegas, etc would desire. It does highlight a deficiency of the FIA’s superlicence points system with regards to IndyCar, which has become a clear barrier to getting an American driver back into F1. That needs fixing. By: Charles Bradley, Global Editor in Chief
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