Jenson Button names the American driver who would be ‘perfect’ for F1, Danica Patrick agrees

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The United States Grand Prix has seen Formula 1 return to America for the second time this year.

Oscar Piastri won his fourth race of the season, the last time F1 raced in the USA in Miami earlier in the year.

However, the drivers’ championship leader is suffering from a poor run of form, and Max Verstappen will be confident he can continue to close the gap in the standings at the Circuit of the Americas after winning the Sprint Race and taking pole position.

Formula 1 is growing all the time in America, with Liberty Media’s takeover and Drive to Survive playing major roles in the sport’s popularity.

However, F1 is missing an American driver, with the last driver representing the country, Logan Sargeant, dropped by Williams halfway through last season.

Sargeant was never a big name in his home country, having spent his entire career racing in Europe, but the introduction of Cadillac to the grid alongside Haas offers American drivers the perfect opportunity to switch series.

Jenson Button and Danica Patrick now believe that Colton Herta could be that driver as he prepares to race in Formula 2 next season.

READ MORE: Colton Herta told by Cadillac chief why his IndyCar strengths make him perfect for F1

Jenson Button and Danica Patrick think Colton Herta is the ‘perfect’ American driver for Formula 1

In the build-up to the United States Grand Prix on Sky Sports F1 (18/10 9:35 pm), Patrick and Button were discussing Herta’s future.

Patrick said: “He’s the one that’s wanted to do it so much. I mean, when I look at the roster and I think about the likely candidates, it’s like, there are a lot of American drivers, yes, but you have to want to do it at the same time, too.

“And a lot of those American drivers are in NASCAR. Colton is really the prime candidate, and I think he’d be very entertaining. I think he’d do a good job, but there’s a lot to learn for him, too, a lot to learn.”

Button replied: “I think it’s so exciting for everyone that there’s another team coming into the sport.

“In the future, it’s going to bring a lot more sponsorship in, a lot more eyes on the sport. Another opportunity for two more great drivers to jump into the sport, except that they’ve been here before.

“I really like Colton Herta’s drive. I drove with him at Daytona a couple of years ago, and he jumps in everything, and he’s on the pace immediately.

“I love that he’s willing to put it all on the line and come over and race in F2 next year. For me, he is the perfect candidate for an American F1 [driver].

Patrick concluded: “It’s good to come [to F1] a little bit later in his career, too, because Colton’s one of those drivers.

“He is fast, but he can make some mistakes, and so those are extremely costly. So, I think that this will be a good test for him and entertaining for us to see.”

READ MORE: The best United States Grand Prix facts you should know as Max Verstappen targets historic podium

Does Colton Herta stand a chance of reaching Formula 1 during his career?

Cadillac will begin their debut F1 campaign with veterans Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas in their cars.

Bottas and Perez have signed multi-year deals, while Herta is making the switch from IndyCar into Formula 2 next year.

Herta is making the switch because he doesn’t have the required points to earn an FIA superlicense yet, despite having won nine times in IndyCar.

The 25-year-old will be one of the most experienced drivers on the F2 grid next year, but that doesn’t guarantee success.

He’ll have a tough time winning the championship, especially if the likes of Arvid Lindblad and Alex Dunne spend another year at that level.

Not only that, despite Herta potentially being ‘perfect’ for Formula 1, the driver market is expected to be very active in the next two years, and Cadillac might look elsewhere rather than prioritise an American driver even if Herta shows his potential.