The McLaren Formula Ome Team announced on Saturday that Andretti Autosport NTT IndyCar Series driver, Colton Herta will test for the team over the course of the 2022 Formula One season.
The news comes as Formula One allows teams to test young drivers as part of a new rule for 2022.
Testing of Previous Cars of TPC will see Herta drive the Mercedes-powered MCL35M over the course of the year.
Speaking about the news, Herta said:
“I want to thank McLaren for the opportunity to get my first laps in a Formula 1 car, which has always been on my racing bucket list. This will be a great opportunity for me to gain some valuable experience in a new form of motorsport and learn from such an established team like McLaren F1.”
McLaren Formula One Team Principal Andrea’s Seidl said:
Colton is a proven talent in IndyCar and we will be interested to see how he adapts to a Formula 1 car. 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.”
McLaren we confirm the details of the tests at a later date.
McLaren CEO Zak Brown said:
Great to welcome IndyCar driver Colton Herta to the McLaren F1 Team’s 2021 MCL35M testing programme. We look forward to evaluating more young talent like Colton through our programme in the future.