(Reuters) – American IndyCar driver Colton Herta will test for McLaren this year under new Formula One rules allowing teams to evaluate young talent in year-old cars.
McLaren gave no details of the testing programme for the 21-year-old, who in 2019 became the U.S.-based series’ youngest winner.
“Colton is a proven talent in IndyCar and we will be interested to see how he adapts to a Formula One car,” said McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl in a statement during pre-season testing in Bahrain.
“We believe this testing programme will provide him with valuable experience while demonstrating the benefit of expanding previous car testing to showcase promising drivers for the future.”
Herta, who drives for Andretti Autosport in IndyCar, said driving a Formula One car had always been on his racing bucket list.
Michael Andretti has applied to the governing FIA for an entry to become the 11th team in the Formula One championship by 2024.
Andretti tried last year to take over Swiss-based Sauber, who run the Alfa Romeo team, and has said Herta would have been one of the drivers had he been successful.
Herta said last month that he would not be able to pass up an opportunity to race in Formula One should the FIA approve Andretti’s application.
McLaren also have an IndyCar team and chief executive Zak Brown, an American, has been supportive of Andretti’s bid to enter Formula One.
The United States will have two grands prix this year, with Miami debuting in May and Austin, Texas, a fixture on the calendar. The sport is owned by U.S.-based Liberty Media who are keen to grow it in the Americas.
Formula One has not had a U.S. driver since Alexander Rossi, the 2016 Indianapolis 500 winner, in 2015.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin in London, editing by Christian Radnedge)
