Formula 1 hopeful Nyck de Vries has called upon the FIA to deny Colton Herta a superlicence – or risk the integrity of the F2 and F3 championships as the sport's feeder series.
Red Bull want the IndyCar driver to make the switch to F1 next year and race for their AlphaTauri sister team. Herta was the man selected as the ideal candidate after it became clear Pierre Gasly wanted to leave a year early to embark upon a fresh adventure with Alpine.
But there is a problem, as Herta does not actually qualify for a superlicence, needed by all F1 drivers. Despite his experience in IndyCar – he has seven race wins to his name and finished third in the 2020 championship – the points system in place is unfavourable to the sport.
In contrast, De Vries is still waiting for his first shot as a regular F1 driver, and has been eligible for a superlicence for several years. The former F2 and Formula E champion has represented three different teams in practice sessions this season, the most recent being on Friday when he got behind the wheel of an Aston Martin.
After that drive, he told reporters at Monza that he has "trust" in the FIA, and demanded that the rules be "respected" in their decision in Herta's case. "There are plenty of other drivers in the market that have the superlicence points, and the necessity is not necessarily that high to go and give someone a dispensation to give a superlicence," the 27-year-old said.
"It will give an incorrect precedent and example to Formula 3 and Formula 2 championships. I think it will be a shame if we jeopardise our system, and I also think it's unnecessary."
Speaking about his own future, De Vries admitted at Monza: "Time will tell. It's out of my hands, it's not in my control. Obviously it is a dream and I think I would deserve a chance. But ultimately it's not up to me to decide a driver line-up."
The Dutchman will get the chance to impress this weekend as he gears up for his competitive F1 debut. He was supposed to just take part in FP1 for Aston Martin, but Williams have now drafted him in for the rest of the weekend while Alex Albon seeks medical treatment.
The team confirmed the British-Thai racer is suffering from appendicitis. Albon posted himself on social media to tell fans that he would be undergoing surgery, and plans to be back on track for the next race in Singapore in three weeks' time.
