RACING: FIA boosts F1 superlicence points allocation for IndyCar drivers

Top IndyCar drivers will have an easier path to Formula One after the FIA increased the number of superlicence points awarded to competitors in the U.S.-based open-wheel series.

The International Automobile Federation (FIA) approved the change during a meeting on Wednesday, giving more points to drivers finishing between third and ninth in IndyCar.

To qualify for a Formula One superlicence, drivers must accumulate 40 ranking points over a three-year period. Currently, only the IndyCar champion earns that total in a single season, with the runner-up receiving 30 points.

The revised FIA rules, which will take effect in 2026, aim to "reflect the growing significance of the category" by awarding additional points to drivers placing between third and ninth.

Although Formula One does not currently feature a U.S. driver, the sport’s popularity is rising in the United States, with three races on the calendar and Cadillac joining next season as the 11th American team on the grid.

Nine-time IndyCar race winner Colton Herta will compete in next year’s Formula Two championship while serving as a test driver for Cadillac. Herta has struggled to secure enough superlicence points based on his recent IndyCar performances.

IndyCar fans have long argued that the FIA undervalues the series’ talent compared with junior series like Formula Two. Under the new system, Herta would be closer to meeting the threshold for a superlicence.

"It’s good news for IndyCar and good for the drivers in the series if they do want to race in F1," Arrow McLaren principal Tony Kanaan told Motorsport.com. "An IndyCar driver shouldn’t need to go to a feeder series to prove they’ve got what it takes to compete in any other series." -Alan Baldwin/Reuters