Graham Rahal, the 33-year-old IndyCar series driver, made a strong statement with regard to F1. The statement comes in the wake of the Colton Herta saga, an ongoing topic of discussion between the FIA and Red Bull.

Graham riled some feathers when he posted a tweet calling F1 an elitist sport. His tweet reads out, “Damn right. F1 is an elitist sport. They don’t want us. Remember that. They want US companies money, they want wealthy US individuals money. But they don’t care about the rest. Always has been that way, always will be.”

The tweet came in after Herta’s move to F1 was struck down by the FIA. The American young talent was slated to join AlphaTauri and replace Pierre Gasly. However, his move was not granted for want of the requisite Super Licence points.

Attempts to seek exemption from the rule were also struck down. Formula 1 CEO, Stefano Domenicali, was reported to have asked the FIA to enforce the existing rules as “there is a protocol to respect, and that is the situation”.

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Moreover, Rahal did not stop at just one tweet. He further tweeted, “And for those who want to say that @ColtonHerta didn’t “earn” the right. You’re off base. He’s as talented if not more than the rest.”

“He’s a proven winner. He came to the top, and has done exceptionally well. F1 has had ride buyers for years who don’t hold a candle to CH. FACTS!”

Several other drivers from the IndyCar community have come out in support of the young Californian, Herta.

Support for Colton Herta from IndyCar drivers

Colton Herta became the youngest race winner in IndyCar when he won at the Circuit of The Americas at the age of 18. Recently, it seemed like he will be fast-tracked into F1 by Helmut Marko. However, there was opposition from the FIA, and teams such as Ferrari, with Mattia Binotto speaking out against the move.

Since then, the move has fallen down. IndyCar veterans other than Graham Rahal have come out in support of the young driver. Scott McLaughlin said, “Their loss. Kid’s a stud.” Similarly, Felix Rosenqvist said, “It’s so stupid…”

Dave Moody, the announcer for Motor Racing Network, said “F1 has made it very clear for many years. They have no interest in US drivers, just US dollars.” All these words signify the mood in the IndyCar community with regard to the now-collapsed move.

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Although the move seems to be shut down, it is no doubt that Herta will make the step up to F1 soon. It is a shame that it won’t be in 2023, but we hope it is sooner rather than later.