Colton Herta: IndyCar star and Cadillac test driver to race in Formula 2 next season - which team will he drive for?
Cadillac’s test driver Colton Herta will race in a junior category next season, as he gets to grips with the Formula 1 ladder.
After Cadillac confirmed that their new F1 team will boast a line-up of Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez in 2026, it was announced that IndyCar star Colton Herta would be picked up as the reserve driver.
The Californian, 25, holds the records for being the youngest driver to win an IndyCar race, taking the chequered flag at the 2019 Circuit of the Americas series age 18 years, 11 months and 25 days. For years, he has been touted with a move to Formula 1, his association with McLaren thought to potentially be his way in.
But with McLaren comfortably set for the future with driver duo Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, Herta has been sidelined, forced to wait for an opportunity elsewhere.
Now, the American driver has confirmed he will race in Formula 2 next season, as he builds himself up for his “best shot” at finally getting into F1.
Speaking on the Off Track with Hinch and Rossi podcast, Herta said: “It goes without saying [it’s a] risk - for me, it was an incredibly tough decision to make, because I know what I’m leaving behind.
“I’m leaving behind a great group of guys, an incredibly competitive championship where if it’s your day you can win, and we’ve seen that’s not always the case in Formula 1 - you need the car to compete.
“The easy thing would be to stay in IndyCar. That would be simple for me. I’d live a very similar life.
“It’s a risk, and it’s a dream of mine, so I thought, this is my last shot at it. I want to do it, I want to take that chance. For me, it’s really just about fighting for my dream.”
Adding that he is “betting on himself” with the switch, Herta has not announced which F2 team he is racing for.
The likes of Mercedes, Ferrari and Alpine simply don’t exist as teams in the junior categories - although they do have racers from their driver academies throughout the field.
For it’s first three seasons, Cadillac is partnering up with Ferrari, with the Italian outfit providing engines to the F1 newcomers. That could indirectly give us a clue as to which F2 team Herta might be racing for.
Ferrari’s academy drivers typically race for a handful of teams on the F2 grid, with the most popular choice being Italian team Prema. Other likely options include Hitech, Trident and Dams Lucas Oil, although Herta genuinely could go anywhere for 2026.