AlphaTauri says 2023 seat will likely go to Gasly or Herta

By JENNA FRYER
AP Auto Racing Writer
AlphaTauri is awaiting a decision from the FIA on Colton Herta’s eligibility to compete in Formula One next season. The delay is affecting the team’s planning for its 2023 lineup. Pierre Gasly is currently under contract to AlphaTauri via a deal with Red Bull, but Alpine would like the Frenchman to fill the seat opening when Fernando Alonso leaves. It would require McLaren to release its F1 rights to Herta, the 22-year-old Californian seeking to become the first American on the F1 grid since Alexander Rossi in 2015. But Herta does not have a Super License to compete in F1 so any deal is contingent on the FIA ruling. AlphaTauri team principal Franz Tost says its 2023 driver will most likely be either Gasly or Herta.