"Scared of American drivers; Indycar drivers are not respected at all"- Fans react to FIA denying F1 entry to Colton Herta

104th Indianapolis 500
Colton Herta, driver of the #88 Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana Andretti Harding Steinbrenner Autosport Honda, stands on the grid prior to the 104th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on August 23, 2020 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Colton Herta was recently denied an FIA super license and the chance to compete in F1. The seven-time IndyCar race winner was linked to multiple teams like Alpine and Alpha Tauri for the 2023 season but a lack of points for a super license has held the American back.

Colton Herta has thirty-two points, eight below the required forty for a super license. The FIA revealed that they had received an official request to review the matter and had concluded that no exemption would be granted.

The announcement elicited a mixed reaction from fans. Some fans took to social media to express their displeasure with the treatment of IndyCar drivers while others praised the FIA for not breaking or bending the rules in order to accommodate Colton Herta. Some such tweets include:

"Scared of American drivers. idk why"
"That’s a fat L, Indycar drivers are not respected at all. I mean drivers like Montoya or Villeneuve came from there and actually won races and titles ( for Jacques ). Herta , O’ward and Palou for example are clearly f1 worthy"
"The problem is the super license and validating this would lead to huge repercussions on other drivers that the whole thing becomes too messy. It’s not whether he’s good enough because he clearly is"
"The same field that had Mazepin and Latifi racing but can't allow a guy like Herta"
"It’s laughable that its not recognised as a higher series than Indycar. How many F2 drivers seek Indycar drives when they don’t make it to F1, they see it as a progression. Just look at Illot, Lundgaard."
"Shame for Colton, good for the sport. Might still need to consider changing the super licence point system, that's a thing of its own. This is a W."
"A 7 time Indy winner should do couple of races in Asian f4 to get a license. Seems logical and fair"
"as simple as that! so don't just brag about it, it will be best for him to join #F2 next year & prove himself even further that he is GOOD"
"Why should we give him a chance in F1 when there's upcoming american drivers in F2 and F3 that could be given a chance as well? I prefer seeing Logan Sargeant in F1 instead of Herta.He is doing an great job in F2 and is current 3rd in the standings while Herta is 8th in IndyCar."
"Bro no one’s scared of American drivers. The FIA just undervalued indy to make juniors go through the FIA system instead."

Colton Herta's denial of a super license sparked a debate about whether the super license system needed to be overhauled. Under the current system, it is extremely difficult for an American driver to compete in F1 due to a lack of FIA feeder series in the country. If the sport is to attract another American driver, the current system must be modified to make it more adaptable.

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