Herta set for two-day test at Portimao with McLaren

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McLaren has announced that Andretti Autosport IndyCar star Colton Herta will test with the Woking-based outfit next week at Portimao in preparation for a potential FP1 run with the team later this season.

McLaren enrolled Herta into its 2022 test programme under F1's Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) provision, which means the 22-year-old American will be onboard a 2021 McLaren MCL35M next week in Portugal.

Herta will be on track on Monday and Tuesday, with McLaren simulator driver Will Stevens taking over testing duties on Wednesday.

Read also: Norris says 'Hooligan Herta' on another level in high-speed corners

"As we have communicated, the agreement with Colton is that we want to give him the chance to run our Formula 1 car to show what he's actually able to do in such a car," commented McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl, quoted by Motorsport.com.

"We have the possibility now to run a one-year-old car this year. The objective of the test is to see how he's doing there and as you know we have to do two times this year a free practice session with a young driver.

"And once we tested all the candidates who we want to give a chance in a TPC car we will make our mind up who will actually run this free practice session."

"We will give Colton a chance for two days and then I guess we will also run most likely one or two of our simulator drivers just to make sure they are having a fresh impression of running a McLaren car on track as well."

Herta has been touted as the next American driver to race in F1, and the IndyCar charger would perhaps be currently racing among motorsport's elite had Michael Andretti's plan to acquire a majority stake in Sauber-Alfa Romeo come to fruition last year.

As part of F1's two mandatory young driver free practice sessions on race weekends this year, McLaren is also expected to run Arrow McLaren SP IndyCar race winner Pato O'Ward, who tested for the papaya squad last year in Abu Dhabi.

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Michael Delaney