FIA reaches Colton Herta decision after Brazilian Grand Prix incident

The FIA stewards have confirmed that Cadillac test driver Colton Herta will face no further action over an alleged red flag infringement in FP1 at the Brazilian Grand Prix.

Herta was classified 20th in the opening practice session at Interlagos on Friday as McLaren driver and 2025 world champion Lando Norris set the pace.

Colton Herta avoids further FIA action at Brazilian Grand Prix

The former IndyCar driver made his sixth FP1 appearance of the F1 2026 season in Sao Paulo, deputising for Sergio Perez.

The 26-year-old lapped 0.904 seconds slower than regular driver Valtteri Bottas, who ended opening practice five places ahead in 15th.

Herta was noted by the stewards after Freddie Slater, who was deputising for Nico Hulkenberg at Audi, stopped on track.

Onboard footage showed Herta’s car passing the pit entry as trackside panels flashed red to signify that the session had been suspended, with the American completing another lap before returning to the pits.

The incident was noted by the stewards, who have opted to take no further action against Herta.

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Herta has emerged as a potential option for Cadillac for the F1 2027 season amid doubts over the future of Bottas.

As reported by PlanetF1.com, it emerged at last weekend’s United States Grand Prix that Bottas’s seat is not secure for the 2027 campaign.

Herta, who switched to Formula 2 ahead of 2026 with a view to a potential future F1 promotion with Cadillac, is believed to be in contention for a Cadillac seat for next season, with Mercedes reserve driver Fred Vesti also a candidate to succeed Bottas if the team opts against keeping the Finn.

Perez signed an extension to his Cadillac contract until the end of the 2029 season ahead of his home race in Mexico, with Bottas awaiting a final decision on his future.

Speaking in Mexico last weekend, Bottas hinted that his Cadillac future will be decided in an upcoming meeting between “the big bosses in the USA.”

He said: “I don’t really have much to say.

“That’s the situation; there are rumours. I have nothing really to say; we’ll find out eventually.”

Asked if he is confident that he will be on the grid in 2027, he added: “For me, it was always kind of clear who’s here for next year.

“Obviously, Checo made an extension and I hadn’t made a further extension yet.

“I’m sure, in a big company, there’s always the board meetings that they could approve the final decisions and I believe those are soon.

“So I think everything just needs to be validated with the big bosses in the USA.”

Bottas recorded Cadillac’s best result of the F1 2026 season at the second race in China in March, finishing 13th.

Herta has struggled at F2 level over the course of this year, scoring points on just five occasions.

His last points came with a P7 finish in Belgium in July, with fifth place in Barcelona his best result of 2026.

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