Top F1 insider Ralf Schumacher has issued a brutal verdict on a young star who is being linked with a full-time seat on the grid for 2027.

The former F1 driver, now an analyst for Sky Sports in Germany, pulled no punches in a withering assessment of 26-year-old American Colton Herta.

Herta is currently being linked with a seat at US team Cadillac in 2027, as speculation continues about the future of under-pressure Finn Valtteri Bottas.

Friday's free practice sessions at the Brazilian Grand Prix saw Herta given another opportunity to compete for Cadillac, and afterwards he admitted that a full-time drive next year is his ambition.

"That's obviously my goal. That's why I'm here and that's why I'm giving so much. I hope it happens," he said.

Schumacher on Herta: 'No, honestly, it's pointless'

Schumacher though believes Herta should not be an option for any team, giving a brutal verdict when asked the question by Sky Sports Germany.

"Only if Easter and Christmas fell on the same day. No, honestly, it's pointless," he began.

"He's just burning fuel, as Franz Tost (long-time F1 team principal) would say. I don't even know what the point is.

"You can put other people, young people, in the car. Herta was really, really bad in Formula 2. In my opinion, he doesn't deserve it at all."

American talent 'has to make sense' for Cadillac

Schumacher understands why Cadillac would be interested in pushing young American stars forward, but he says the choices have to be the right ones.

"I think it's nice that they're trying to push Americans. But it has to make sense, and this one has no place in Formula 1."

While Herta clearly does not fit the bill for Schumacher, he does have his eye on one young talent for a full-time seat in the near future - McLaren's young Italian reserve driver Leonardo Fornaroli.

He said: "Leonardo Fornaroli is certainly a candidate who deserves the chance. After all, he's a Formula 2 and Formula 3 champion. An absolutely strong driver."

The other seat at Cadillac is already occupied for the long term after Mexican star Sergio Perez recently signed a contract extension through 2029.