Colton Herta up and running with McLaren in Portimao

©McLaren

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©McLaren

IndyCar star Colton Herta kicked off his two-day test with McLaren on Monday morning at Portimao in Portugal.

The Andretti Autosport charger who is being heralded as the next American driver to race in Formula 1 is running onboard the Woking-based outfit's 2021 MCL35M in preparation – if everything goes well – for an official Friday practice session with McLaren at a yet to be determined upcoming race.

Herta, a seven-time winner in IndyCar, spent his formation years in motorsport in Europe, and had never hidden his ambitions of racing one day in Formula 1.

"It is a serious ambition of mine," he said recently.

"There’s a lot of things that when I'm done racing I want to be able to say that I did. And Formula 1 is pretty high on the list for one of those things."

The last Alerican driver to grace the grid in Formula 1 was Herta's Andretti-Autosport teammate in IndyCar, Alexander Rossi.

©McLaren

Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.