Since Michael Andretti launched his bid for the F1 entry in 2021, Colton Herta quickly became the first-choice pick to jump from IndyCar into Formula One. While Andretti has been sidelined, Cadillac’s F1 team announced on Wednesday that it signed the 25-year-old American as a test driver. The move was quickly followed by Andretti Global signing former Penske driver Will Power to take over Herta’s seat in IndyCar.
Alongside his testing and development role, Herta will be spending his 2026 season competing in Europe. He will likely be racing in Formula 2 to secure the crucial points needed for an FIA Super License. While Herta isn’t starting from scratch, a top-three championship finish would be enough to instantly earn the 40 points for a Super License. However, the six points from an eighth place in the F2 standings would be enough for Herta, factoring in the 34 points he banked for the last two IndyCar seasons. Herta said in a press release:
“I’m incredibly excited to be joining the Cadillac Formula 1 Team as a Test Driver. This is a dream opportunity, and one I’ve been working towards for a long time. To be part of Cadillac F1’s entry at such a pivotal time is something I couldn’t pass up. “My dream has always been to race in Formula 1, and I see this move as a huge step towards that goal. For now, my focus is on giving everything I can to Cadillac F1, helping build a competitive team.”
Herta isn’t locked into an F1 seat, but his odds are improving
Herta wouldn’t necessarily need to have immediate success in F2. Cadillac signed Sergio Pérez and Valtteri Bottas to race seats on multi-year contracts. However, both drivers will be 36 years old at Cadillac’s debut race next year. Drivers competing past 40 are a rarity in F1, with Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton being the exceptions that prove the rule. Herta could be first in line to replace either Bottas or Pérez should one of them retire or Cadillac decide to put a driver out to pasture.
While Herta’s move seems natural, given that the Cadillac F1 Team and Andretti Global are both under the TWG ownership umbrella, along with the Dodgers and the Lakers, Red Bull Racing also considered offering the American a job. In 2021, Max Verstappen’s employer sought a COVID-related exemption from the FIA to qualify Herta for a Super License and place him at its sister AlphaTauri team. The FIA refused to grant the exemption. In the years since, Andretti’s struggles in IndyCar meant that Herta couldn’t finish high enough in IndyCar to earn an F1 license. A driver must either win IndyCar’s championship or finish in the top three over three consecutive seasons. The F2 route seems like a cakewalk by comparison.
