Zak Brown on Herta test with McLaren: “We take all drivers very seriously”

At McLaren, the major maneuvers began a few weeks ago. With the recruitment of Alex Palou and Alexander Red into the British fold, as well as the promotion of Colton Herta as test pilot in Formula 1, the organization chart is changing. In fact, the American was able to take his first laps with an F1 during three days of testing, in Portimão from July 11 to 13. An essay deemed “quite impressive” by Andreas Seidl, the director of the McLaren team.

McLaren chairman Zak Brown has looked back on his days testing for Colton Herta. He claims that this choice to test the driverIndycar is nothing trivial, but it is not linked to his nationality. “We take every driver we put in our Formula 1 car very seriously. The fact that he's American is great, but we're all about performance. (…) We would never select a driver for commercial reasons. »

Brown wants “see what Herta is capable of” with McLaren

Author of 162 laps over the three days of testing in Portugal, Colton Herta was able to have a first glimpse of the life of a Formula 1 team. While doubts persist about the seat of Daniel Ricciardo for next season, McLaren could study other options for 2023.

The American Herta has the advantage of its nationality, while Formula 1 is booming in the United States. But according to Zak Brown, priority is given to talent first. The first question to ask is: do we think this driver is a potential world champion, capable of winning Grands Prix? And if the answer is yes, then we continue, explains the president of McLaren. If that driver happens to be British, because we're a British team, or American, because it's a big market, that's a kind of commercial bonus. »

If Colton Herta is very popular in the United States, the American is still little known to the general public in Europe. Nothing to worry about McLaren, which is also banking on the experience of the young 22-year-old driver. “We're here to win races, and that's what our sponsor partners want. Yes, [Herta] has been very impressive in IndyCar. He was Lando's teammate not too long ago in Europe, so he has European racing experience. Our idea to give him a chance and see what he can do. »

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