– Will Colton Herta make the leap into Formula 1 on his second attempt? The former IndyCar driver was already on the verge of a commitment in the premier class a few years ago because Red Bull wanted him as Pierre Gasly’s successor at AlphaTauri. However, this failed at the time due to the necessary super license points and a lack of an exemption from the FIA.
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He wants to collect the missing points in Formula 2 in 2026 in order to then start for newcomer Cadillac, where he has been considered a hot candidate since Andretti’s first efforts. As early as 2021, when Andretti first reached out and wanted to buy Alfa Romeo, the American was sent out as a vanguard.
“We wanted to buy this team, so we sent Colton over to the factory in Hinwil to put him in the simulator,” recalls Cadillac owner Dan Towriss in the podcast Beyond the Grid. After a short time, he was already faster than the regular drivers, who at the time were Kimi Räikkönen and Antonio Giovinazzi.
Subsequently, there was a test at McLaren, “and the report written about him was outstanding,” emphasizes Towriss. Further tests at Alpine were also so good “that he came home with a Red Bull contract that was ready to be signed,” according to the Cadillac owner.
“And it probably took me a month to convince Colton and his representatives not to sign that contract and to stay with us.”
Could have collected points even in dog sledding
Herta stayed with Andretti in the IndyCar series and could now finally get his chance at Formula 1. To do so, he is leaving the comfortable nest in the USA and proving himself against younger drivers in Formula 2, who are much more familiar with the European racing system than he is.
“For Colton to take this step and leave the IndyCar spotlight to do this – I mean, that shows enormous courage and says a massive amount about Colton and his abilities,” praises Towriss, who is a fan of this approach of showing respect for the sport and truly earning his way into Formula 1.
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“He could, I don’t know, collect a few points in dog sled racing in some strange place where there might be points,” he continues. “But that’s not the way you should get in.”
“I never really thought that would be the right way for him. And to Colton’s credit, he didn’t think so either,” he says. “It’s not just about getting into Formula 1. He wants to get in the right way.”
Herta had to think about it for a month
However, Herta had to think for some time whether he really wanted to take this step, as the American reveals. “I said: ‘You can stay in IndyCar and continue there, or the path to Formula 1 leads through this Formula 2 route.’ And if he had said ‘no’ to that, I would never have spoken to him about Formula 1 again.”
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“And to Colton’s credit, he didn’t make the decision immediately. It took him almost a month to think about it and really weigh the price between the life he had, the career he is building in IndyCar, and the chance to go to Formula 1,” says Towriss.
Whether the decision will pay off remains to be seen. His first Formula 2 weekend was mixed, with a crash in practice, 14th place in qualifying, and 16th place in the sprint race, before the first moment of success finally came on Sunday with seventh place in the main race.
Towriss: Herta’s approach is right
But Cadillac doesn’t want to judge Herta solely on pure results anyway, even if they can determine whether he will have enough points for the super license. His sessions in the simulator or in free practice in Formula 1 are also included in the evaluation – just like his approach.
“How does he come to work every day? Does he feel entitled to something, or is he there to roll up his sleeves and learn as much as possible?” says Towriss.
“Of course, he’s racing against a lot of younger kids in the F2 series. So does he come in and think: ‘I’m Colton Herta, I’ll show you guys how it’s done’? Or is he the worker who just comes in with the right attitude and steps on the gas?”
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“I would say so far he’s been the kid with the right attitude, just coming in to get the work done and prove himself.”
Towriss emphasizes: “He doesn’t say: ‘Hey, look at the report and read what Andrea Stella wrote about me. Or Zak [Brown]. I deserve this cockpit.’ Instead: ‘I’m going to do the work. What do I need to do to earn my place in this car?'”
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“And I hope that’s exactly what people see: someone with a lot of talent who has shown very high potential for Formula 1 and is willing to put in the work to earn a place at the top of motorsport.”
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