Colton Herta's chances of landing a Formula 1 seat for next season look to be dead in the water, amid reports Red Bull have given up on their efforts to place him at AlphaTauri.
The IndyCar star has made no secret of his desire to switch to F1, and has the talent to back up that dream. The seven-time race winner has tested with McLaren already earlier this year, and was set to get behind the wheel of an Alpine car later this month.
That was in preparation for his proposed move to AlphaTauri, but that deal now looks to be off. Speaking to German media, Red Bull chief Helmut Marko has suggested they have been able to get the help they needed from the FIA to make the move happen.
For all Herta's talent and experience, the IndyCar star is lacking the required points for an F1 superlicence. Red Bull had hoped to convince the governing body to bend the rules, with AlphaTauri keen to do whatever they could to help facilitate the move, but it seems the FIA has stood firm.
"It's a shame that people don't realise what value an American driver, especially a guy like Colton Herta, would have for the booming American market, especially with three F1 races," Marko told Motorsport-Total .
The Austrian also added it was "incomprehensible" that a proven race winner in IndyCar is not deemed to be qualified to race in F1. Now that an F1 drive appears to be off the table for now, Herta's planned test with Alpine has now reportedly been cancelled.
The collapse of the deal has placed in jeopardy Pierre Gasly's proposed move to Alpine. The Frenchman is the Enstone outfit's first choice and the driver is believed to be keen on a fresh start, but he still has one more season on his AlphaTauri contract.
Red Bull have already made it clear they will only allow Gasly to leave early if they can secure an "exciting" replacement. Herta, and the commercial benefits he would have brought with him, was the preferred candidate, and drivers currently in the junior programme are not considered to be ready to make the jump to F1.
"It's being evaluated right now what possibilities there might be," Marko added, hinting perhaps there is still a chance Gasly could be allowed to complete his Alpine switch. But unless AlphaTauri find someone they are happy with, the 26-year-old looks set to see out the final year of his deal.
