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Cadillac F1 Team test driver Colton Herta will be racing with the respected Hitech Formula 2 come 2026, which should give him the experience and confidence necessary to compete on the global stage for the coming years. This move will immerse him in the European single-seater scene like never before, which is essential if he wants to race in Formula 1 eventually.
Respect where respect is due. Herta is leaving a somewhat comfortable position in IndyCar to chase his dream of racing in F1. Thanks to several successful years in the American series and his great relationship with Andretti Global and the Towriss family, he quickly positioned himself within the Cadillac F1 organization—but that alone won’t be enough to get him to the pinnacle of motor racing.
Meg Oliphant via Getty Images Meg Oliphant
The 25-year-old Californian will go from racing some of the world’s best open-wheel racing drivers (several of them former F1 racers) at 230 mph and on a wide variety of circuits throughout the IndyCar season, to racing against young kids—some of them rising stars, others up-and-coming juniors, and a few of them talentless brats with billionaire daddies. Herta undoubtedly brings a treasure trove of experience behind the wheel that most of his competitors can only dream of, and a wealth of experience in the car set-up and development departments. Combine that with Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas’ expertise, and it’s looking pretty good for Cadillac’s future.
“I’m incredibly excited to officially be joining F2 for the 2026 Formula 2 season,” said Herta. “This is an amazing opportunity to develop my skills in European racing and to measure myself against some of the best young drivers in the world. Racing on the same weekends as Formula 1 will give me first-hand experience of that environment and help me grow as part of the Cadillac F1 family. I’m very grateful to Cadillac and Hitech for their trust and support and I can’t wait to get started.”
Herta is right to highlight one key bit: “Racing on the same weekends as Formula 1 will give me first-hand experience of that environment.” I truly believe that’s half the battle of getting into F1 right there—well, besides having money and talent. But in all seriousness, that’s the hurdle for most young American racers; they must choose whether to stay in North America and be virtually unknown to the rest of the world, or move to Europe at a very young age to have a shot at becoming a global racing star. There is no in between.
Justin Casterline via Getty Images Justin Casterline
At 25, Herta is already late to break into F1, something that’s equally fascinating and depressing. For comparison, four-time world champion Max Verstappen is 28, while title contender Lando Norris is 25. Current championship leader, Oscar Piastri, is just 24 years old. The youngest driver on the grid is Kimi Antonelli, who is only 19.
“Colton has already shown exceptional talent and professionalism throughout his career,” said Dan Towriss, CEO of TWG Motorsports and Cadillac Formula 1 Team. “His move into Formula 2 with Hitech is a natural and important next step in his development towards Formula 1. Competing in F2 will not only strengthen his racecraft in the European environment but also allow for greater integration with our team as he continues to support us with his testing and simulator duties.”
Despite having his fair share of frustrating moments (and sometimes plain bad luck) through his IndyCar career, there were also many times when you got the feeling that Herta could’ve done more with better equipment, team, strategy, etc. This isn’t to knock the Andretti crew, of course, but more to praise Herta, who oftentimes showed more promise than he could capitalize on.
The next two years will be his opportunity to align all the pieces and begin building his dream racing career puzzle. Hopefully, the last piece goes on smoothly and paints a picture of an F1 racing seat in 2027 or 2028.
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As deputy editor, Jerry draws on a decade of industry experience and a lifelong passion for motorsports to guide The Drive’s short- and long-term coverage.
