America has a strong presence in Formula 1, but there isn't a single American with a seat in an F1 car. Thanks to McLaren that has now changed. Colton Herta has been announced as part of the 2021 MCL35M car testing program in 2022.

Let's look at the USA's current contribution to F1 racing for some context. The media company that owns the F1 Group is American. There is an American team. There are two races scheduled to take place in the USA this year, and a strong possibility that a Las Vegas street race might join the calendar in the future.

The last time an American raced in F1 was back in 2016. Alexander Rossi was the reserve driver for the Manor Racing team and was reportedly offered a full-time seat after the departure of Rio Haryanto. He turned the seat down to return to IndyCar racing.

The 2022 MCL35M car testing program is the result of new regulations that allow teams to still use one-year-old cars for testing purposes. In McLaren's case, the 2021 MCL35M car will be used to test potential future drivers.

Not that Herta needs to prove himself at this point. He has been named as the favorite to drive for the upcoming Andretti F1 team. Though the FIA has stated that it's not in a position to allow new teams into the sport, it will have to change its stance before 2026, when the most extensive regulation change in the sport's history happens. For the record, McLaren is also one of the teams amped about adding more competitors to the sport.

Herta became the youngest-ever IndyCar winner when he crossed the line first at the Circuit of the Americas in 2019. He has secured six wins and seven pole positions since. He also recently competed in the 2022 Race of Champions.

"Colton is a proven talent in IndyCar, and we will be interested to see how he adapts to a Formula 1 car. We believe this testing program will provide him with valuable experience while demonstrating the benefit of expanding previous car testing to showcase promising drivers for the future," said Andreas Seidl, Team Principal, McLaren F1.

"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 valuable experience in a new form of motorsport and learn from such an established team like McLaren F1," said Herta.

We hope things go well for Herta. We might even see a McLaren Artura Herta Edition in the future.