IndyCar racer Colton Herta to test for McLaren in 2022

McLaren have announced that IndyCar driver Colton Herta will test the team's 2021 car this season.

American racer Herta, 21, has taken six wins – his 2019 victory at Circuit of The Americas making him the series’ youngest-ever winner – and seven pole positions in the IndyCar Series to date.

Under the new Formula 1 sporting regulations, teams are allowed to test cars that are one years-old, allowing them to evaluate young talent for the future. As a result, Herta will test the 2021 McLaren MCL35M with which the squad took fourth in the constructors’ championship.

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“Colton is a proven talent in IndyCar and we will be interested to see how he adapts to a Formula 1 car,” said McLaren Team Principal Andreas Seidl.

“We believe this testing programme will provide him with valuable experience while demonstrating the benefit of expanding previous car testing to showcase promising drivers for the future.”

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Herta added: “I want to thank McLaren for the opportunity to get my first laps in a Formula 1 car, which has always been on my racing bucket list.

“This will be a great opportunity for me to gain some valuable experience in a new form of motorsport and learn from such an established team like McLaren.”

McLaren's Lando Norris completed 199 laps for the team over the three days in the Official Pre-Season Test – the squad now ready for the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.