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While IndyCar star Pato O’Ward had the opportunity to drive a McLaren F1 car during the FP1 race at the Abu Dhabi GP, he did not have a super license because he didn’t have enough points to earn one.
The question of the super license arose earlier this year when AlphaTauri wanted to sign IndyCar sensation Colton Herta for its 2023 lineup. Debate over his ineligibility for a super licence continued for weeks, but the FIA did not budge.
After finishing P3 in the standings last season, even if Pato O’Ward gets P5 this year, he will need to be in the top 3 next season to get a super license.
But somehow, three consecutive F2 seasons with P5, P6 and P6 results earned a driver a super licence…
— Tilke Equation 🇺🇸🇳🇱 (@TilkeTracks) September 6, 2022
Oward, who has finished fourth, third and seventh in the last three IndyCar Championships, has not won the Superlicense, which he believes has been squandered due to the blockade of the Superlicense.
Pato O’Ward says drivers with unusual resumes should not be punished
O’Ward believes that drivers who compete in IndyCar are talented enough to have the opportunity to compete at the pinnacle of motorsport, which is Formula One.
In an interview with The Race, the Mexican driver said IndyCar is undervalued and needs to be fixed to prevent a waste of talent.
Early in his career, Oward entered and dropped several race categories that prevented him from earning the required Super License points.
This diverse CV has now ballooned to a huge barrier to not qualifying for F1 despite talent.
Oward added that a driver with an unusual résumé like him should not be penalized for winning multiple championships in his career. He stressed that not everyone has millions of dollars to go into F1 and have the perfect upbringing.
Some riders had to struggle and embark on a crazy career path by racing in Japan, Mexico, Prototypes, USA, Europe, etc. In doing so, sometimes drivers fail to finish the championship simply because they don’t have enough money to race. continue.
Also read: IndyCar driver Alex Palu surprised by insane speed of $12M F1 car
Super driver’s license points distribution
Currently, the IndyCar champion gets 40 points, the same as the F2 champion. But in F2, the driver who finishes second or third also gets 40 points.
In IndyCar, these points decrease as the position slides to the back of the grid. The driver who finishes second in the IndyCar will earn 30 Super License points, 3rd 20 points, 4th 10 points and 5th 8 points.
O’Ward, who completed P7 this year, was only able to score 4 points on his Super Licence despite intense competition and reliability issues.
The Mexican even scored a top 6 finish in every road course. He also had the best average starting spot in the series with a stellar winning record.
Also read: Williams’ protégé Logan Sargeant missed a crucial Super License point by 1 lap!
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