Herta are fielded by Red Bull as a replacement for Pierre Gasly, if an agreement is reached for the Frenchman to be released to join Alpine.
However, Herta currently only has 32 of the 40 points required to obtain a superlicence, unless the FIA uses force majeure to grant them one. The governing body is already looking into his case.
Speaking to Autosport, Red Bull’s Helmut Marko said the company was confident Herta could get a license if a deal to run him materialized.
“I think we can prove he’s eligible for it,” he said. “Let’s see. It’s not done yet, the deal. But we will go for it. We are Red Bull and we are brave, and we hope to succeed with him.
However, rival F1 teams fear the rules will be lifted to help Herta, with Alfa Romeo’s Fred Vasseur and Haas’ Gunther Steiner among those clarifying their positions.
More importantly, Domenicali has backed his side, although the F1 organization has no say in the superlicense process.
“Sport has to play by the rules,” he told Autosport. “And, of course, American drivers or other drivers are very important. If he is eligible to come to F1 because he has the points, that is great news.
“But there is a scale to follow, there is a protocol to follow, and that is the situation. So that’s really what I think is right to do.
Colton Herta, Andretti Autosport with Curb-Agajanian Honda
Photo by: Gavin Baker/Motorsport Images
Regarding the calls for a change in the points weighting for IndyCar, Domenicali said: “I don’t think it’s fair to change anything in retrospect, I think the right thing to do is apply the rules.
“And if there is a point to discuss, if there is a need to update the rules, there is the right forum where everyone can contribute ideas or points of discussion.
“But today, the rule is that you have to be respected. It’s my opinion.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff also backed fellow F1 bosses Vasseur and Steiner, stressing the rules must be followed.
“It would be great to have an American in F1,” he said. “And that would obviously give us a good boost in the United States. But I think the point system is there for a reason.
“We don’t want to create a system where you’re trying to pick the sets that have the least resistance, where the scoring ability is the highest. I think the F4/F3/F2 echelon is something that works for the player. ‘Europe.
“Maybe you have to watch IndyCar, what could that mean or Super Formula, does that score the right points.
“But the rules are the rules, and I really hope the Americans can score enough points to be successful in F1.”
