Herta lines up his first F1 test

Indycar star Colton Herta will get his first Formula 1 test this year with Mclaren in its 2021 MCL35M.

The 21-year-old American races for Andretti Autosport in Indycar, and became the youngest winner in the series’ history in 2019 with victory at the Circuit of The Americas.

The American was in line to land an F1 drive at Alfa Romeo for 2022 if Andretti completed its plans to acquire a majority stake, only for that to fall through at the eleventh hour. Team boss Michael Andretti has already confirmed that Herta would get a seat should his bid to get an F1 squad on the grid in the coming years be successful.

Herta will build some experience with Mclaren thanks to the new sporting regulations for this year, which mean any previous car can be used for private testing.

“I want to thank Mclaren for the opportunity to get my first laps in a Formula 1 car, which has always been on my racing bucket list,” said Herta, who is fourth in the Indycar standings. “This will be a great opportunity for me to gain some valuable experience in a new form of motorsport and learn from such an established team like Mclaren F1.”