Cadillac has given Colton Herta another shot at securing his Formula 1 future, with the American set for a sixth Friday practice appearance of the season at this weekend’s São Paulo Grand Prix in what should finally complete his journey towards an FIA superlicence.

The 26-year-old will take over Sergio Perez’s MAC-26 for FP1 at Interlagos, where covering the required distance should earn him the single superlicence point still missing from his tally.

It is a rather unusual sixth opportunity for a rookie driver, but one Cadillac is determined to provide after an administrative and sporting misunderstanding left Herta tantalisingly short of the required 40 points.

The former IndyCar star has spent much of the year preparing for a potential move into F1, combining private testing with Friday appearances and a challenging campaign in Formula 2.

Yet, just when Cadillac believed the paperwork was effectively in order following last weekend’s Mexican Grand Prix, a closer examination of his previous results revealed an unwelcome shortfall.

Brazil now offers a straightforward route to putting that issue behind him.

A final superlicence opportunity

Herta’s pursuit of the necessary credentials has been anything but straightforward. A breakdown during his FP1 appearance at Monza prevented him from completing the mandatory 100km distance, meaning that session could not contribute the point he needed.

At Interlagos, however, the mathematics should be considerably kinder. Herta needs to complete 24 laps of the Brazilian circuit to satisfy the distance requirement and finally reach the 40-point threshold.

“I’m really looking forward to getting back behind the wheel of the MAC-26 for another FP1 session,” Herta said. “Interlagos is such an iconic, historic track, and driving an F1 car around there is going to be an awesome experience.

“Every time I’ve stepped into the car this year, from Barcelona to Budapest, COTA and Mexico City, I’ve felt more comfortable and better integrated with the engineering team.

“My goal for Friday morning in Brazil is the same: execute the run plan cleanly, give Checo and the engineers the best possible setup data to start their weekend, and keep building on my progress in the car. I’m grateful to the team for giving me this opportunity.”

For Cadillac, the exercise carries significance beyond simply getting its reserve driver over the superlicence line. Securing Herta's eligibility would give the American outfit greater flexibility as it weighs up its driver line-up for 2027, with incumbent Valtteri Bottas potentially facing competition for his seat alongside Perez.

Cadillac also seeks redemption after Mexico setback

Herta's return to the cockpit comes against the backdrop of a bruising weekend for Cadillac in Mexico City, where Bottas suffered a high-speed accident after a sudden front-left suspension failure brought his race to an abrupt end.

Team principal Marcin Budkowski confirmed that the team had investigated the incident and taken precautionary measures ahead of the Brazilian round, while also welcoming another opportunity to assess Herta's progress.

"Following our post-race investigations, Valtteri suffered a suspension failure, and we have implemented mitigations going forward," Budkowski said.

"I’m also pleased to see Colton return to the MAC-26 for another FP1 outing, stepping in for Checo. His growth in the car across his sessions has been impressive, and his feedback remains invaluable to our 2027 development program."

Interlagos should finally remove the last obstacle standing between Herta and an F1 superlicence.

After a season of preparation, setbacks and repeated Friday appearances, the American will arrive in Brazil knowing that 24 clean laps could bring him one significant step closer to the starting grid.