– Colton Herta has been considered one of the hottest American candidates for a Formula 1 cockpit for years. His first season in Formula 2 is being watched all the more closely. The bare numbers, however, have so far been less than spectacular: After three race weekends, the US-American is in twelfth place in the overall standings with only 16 points.
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For many observers, this inevitably raises questions. After all, Herta is considered a long-term desired candidate for the new Cadillac Formula 1 team, which entered the premier class in 2026. But while outsiders primarily focus on the results, Cadillac apparently pursues a completely different internal evaluation.
Both Team Principal Graeme Lowdon and CEO Dan Towriss emphasize that Herta’s current development status largely meets expectations.
Lowdon: “He had no illusions”
Lowdon, in particular, contradicts the impression that Herta is currently falling short of expectations. The Cadillac team principal reminds that the American consciously embarked on an enormous challenge.
“When Colton decided to join Formula 2, he had no illusions about how difficult it would be,” explains Lowdon. “New tracks, new tires, a new approach, new procedures – practically everything is new.”
Precisely for this reason, Herta never entered the series with the expectation of immediately dominating the competition. Instead, the Formula 2 season pursued a clearly defined goal from the outset: acclimatization to the European junior system and the world of Formula 1.
“He went into Formula 2 with a very specific goal: acclimatization,” says Lowdon. “To learn how these tires work, how the race weekends unfold, to get to know the tracks and the different venues.”
Results are not everything
Of course, Herta wants to fight for podium finishes, Lowdon emphasizes. That’s in the nature of a racing driver. At the same time, the current situation should not be evaluated solely on the basis of results. “From the outside, you might say: that was a difficult qualifying or a difficult race,” explains the Briton. “But I see it completely differently.”
From Cadillac’s perspective, Herta is continuously working through the points that are crucial for his long-term development. The learning process currently clearly takes precedence over short-term results.
“He’s learning an incredible amount along the way,” says Lowdon. “Of course, he wants to be more competitive. That’s in the DNA of a racing driver. But at the same time, many items on the wish list are being successfully checked off.”
The Cadillac team principal is particularly impressed by his potential Formula 1 candidate’s willingness to even take on this challenge. “I like the fact that he has accepted this challenge. That’s exactly what a true racing driver would do. That’s why I take my hat off to him.”
How Cadillac Really Evaluates Drivers
It is also interesting to see the criteria by which Cadillac evaluates its junior drivers. Lowdon makes it clear that Formula 1 teams look much deeper than just at results lists.
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As an example, he mentions test and training drives as well as simulator work. The main focus there is on how precisely a driver implements the tasks given to him by the engineers. “We primarily evaluate what a driver is supposed to do and what he actually did,” explains Lowdon.
This is particularly crucial in Formula 1 because the working method is extremely structured and engineer-driven. Especially during free practice sessions, clean procedures are more important than individual lap times. Teams have very little time to analyze new components or vehicle setups.
Therefore, it is enormously valuable when drivers complete the programs exactly as they are given to them. “That is much more important right now than the position on any time sheet,” emphasizes Lowdon.
Herta Remains His Biggest Critic
However, no one within the Cadillac project believes that Herta himself would be completely satisfied with his previous performances. Lowdon describes the American more as a typical top driver.
“Good drivers are always incredibly self-critical,” he says. The best racing drivers in the world often judge themselves much more harshly than any outside observer. According to the Cadillac team principal, Herta constantly wants to improve and deliver even more performance for his team.”
However, precisely this attitude is part of a healthy development process. “Like all truly good drivers, he will always want more,” explains Lowdon. “He will always try to deliver better.”
Monaco as the next test
Dan Towriss also sees no cause for concern so far. The CEO reminds that the current ups and downs were factored in from the beginning. “We expected there would be ups and downs,” says Towriss. A key component of the Formula 2 program, after all, is learning new tracks and dealing with the Pirelli tires, which are unfamiliar to Herta.
The latter, in particular, is considered a key factor. The American spent his entire career so far on other tire brands and must now learn how to optimally prepare the sensitive Formula 2 tires for a single fast lap.
In addition, there’s track knowledge. Herta is driving many of the European circuits for the very first time. Monaco is probably the biggest challenge. “This will be his first race in Monaco,” emphasizes Towriss. “It will be interesting to see how quickly he learns the track.”
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Despite the so far modest points haul, Cadillac’s interim conclusion is clear. “I love the progress he’s making,” says Towriss. “Everything is going according to plan and developing exactly as we expected.”
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