The American driver Colton Herta, having no wins in the current season is leading the standings after the 4th round of the Championship
The investigation into Team Penske’s manipulation of push-to-pass via an improper line of code embedded in the software of its three IndyCar single-seaters has been completed and closed, series president Jay Frye told a small group of media Friday at Barber Motorsports Park. The penalties for the Team and its three drivers include the first disqualified race-winner since 1995. St. Petersburg race winner Josef Newgarden and 3rd-place finisher Scott McLaughlin were knocked off the podium, losing a combined 88 points from their title charges. Penske teammate Will Power, who unlike the former two, didn’t use overtake on starts and restarts at St. Petersburg, was docked 10 points. All three teams were fined $25,000 and docked them all of any related prize winnings from the season-opener. This brings Colton Herta to the top of the standings.
This has been the most beneficial to Colton Herta, after not winning any race in the season his consistency has made him the leader in the standings with 101 points after 4 rounds. Perhaps, the Formula 1 superlicence for the American could be coming sooner than we think, Andretti still holds him as the main choice for their Andretti-Cadillac Formula 1 lineup. On that matter, Andretti is currently on a legal battle against Formula 1 for their spot in the series.
Colton Herta is closer than ever to an Indycar Championship
At the young age of 24 years old, the 7-time race winner could be “cooking” something for the season. Leading the standings only by consistency without wins is still an impressive achievement. However, he might need to step up his game a little bit to stay there. Andretti has the structure to make a championship contender driver and Colton Herta is their biggest bet on that fight.
Kyle Kirkwood is the only other Andretti driver in the top 10 of the championship, with a more humble but still impressive P6. Colton Herta sits on top of the apparently more competitive Chip Gannasi‘s and Penske‘s.
He is doing a very consistent season and the Indy 500 is coming very soon
Next 2 race weekends Indiana gets ready for racing. The Indianapolis motor racing course will take the drivers first. However, the big event of the Indy 500 is coming next. Alex Palou, Pato O’ward and Colton Herta look as favorites to get their maiden Indy 500 win. Some veterans like Scott Dixon, Josef Newgarden or Will Power might want to add another win to their sports record. The Indy 500 weekend is always full of surprises and this year shouldn’t be different.
With four corners banked at 9 degrees, 12 minutes, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway drives more like a road course than an oval. But each of the corners is different, with weather influencing the car’s characteristics. The straightaways are a bit more than 1 km long, time to catch a breath and dive into the next corner for the drivers. This year is the 108th time this iconic race takes place.
These are the Highlights of last year’s Indy 500:
A title and a Indy 500 win at 24 could be an amazing season record for Herta and prove to everyone doubting of his skill. Andretti is also a great beneficiary of that as their status as a global motorsports powerhouse would be even bigger.
This could bring him and Andretti closer to Formula 1, together with a petition for the congress to apply American “Anti-Trust” laws in their favor
A dozen members of the United States Congress have directed their concerns to Liberty Media regarding the purported anti-competitive actions obstructing Andretti Global’s entry into F1.
The FIA granted approval for Andretti Global and General Motors to join F1. However, Liberty, as reported by the ten existing teams, declined to accept another team’s entry, presenting arguments perceived as weak and biased to stave off new competition. This congressional intervention coincides with a scheduled meeting between Andretti and the teams during the Miami GP.
The congressmen’s letter asserts that FOM‘s rejection seems influenced by the predominantly European lineup of Formula 1 teams, many linked to foreign automakers competing with American companies like GM. They argue that preventing American firms from joining F1 may breach American antitrust laws.
The congressmen pose three specific questions to Liberty CEO Greg Maffei regarding FOM’s denial of Andretti
- On what basis does FOM reject Andretti Global‘s admission?
- Why is FOM’s rejection, particularly regarding Andretti Global and GM, potentially the first American-owned and built racing team, justified?
- How does FOM‘s refusal align with the Sherman Act, given its potential benefit to current European teams and their foreign auto manufacturing affiliates?
Highlighting the Sherman Antitrust Act’s prohibition of unreasonable market competition restrictions, the congressmen emphasize GM’s intent to reintroduce its Cadillac brand in Europe. They suggest that European F1 brands might aim to impede GM’s entry to prevent Cadillac’s market dominance. The congressmen sought a response by May 3, ahead of the Andretti-FOM meeting, acknowledging the American ownership of Liberty Media amidst the British FOM subsidiary. That official response did not happen.
Guillermo Lorenzo Manzano
