It’s official: Colton Herta won’t be returning to the IndyCar Sequence in 2026.
Just a few weeks in the past that appeared like a whimsical end result, particularly with Cadillac choosing two skilled drivers in its Components 1 workforce on what it described as multi-year contracts.
That would have given Herta one other yr or two to safe the FIA Tremendous License factors he’d want in IndyCar, however, as a substitute, he’s going to be built-in into the Cadillac setup instantly.
There’s been no secret fabricated from the need to present Herta a shot in Components 1, with the unique Andretti International bid suggesting he would ideally be one in every of its race drivers. Now, the Dan Towriss-run TWG Motorsports operation is trying to create a pathway from IndyCar to one of many F1 seats.
At 25, it might be a giant step for Herta to cease racing to decide to the F1 function full-time, however he’s leaving IndyCar and proper now has not introduced his 2026 racing program.
It’s possible that he received’t have a big one – six FP1 outings that see him cowl no less than 100km and never choose up a penalty would earn him the required factors for his Tremendous License – however the almost certainly state of affairs is that Herta will pair his now-confirmed Cadillac check driver job with a Components 2 journey.
Sure, it’s a step down from being a nine-time race winner in IndyCar to a rookie in F2, however there are a number of explanation why the transfer would make sense.
Firstly, along with his Cadillac function now confirmed, racing within the F1 feeder collection would preserve Herta in and across the workforce all yr whereas additionally with the ability to keep race sharp. The entire F2 occasions are help races throughout an F1 weekend, so there can be no clashes in his schedule that will forestall him being on-site with the workforce.
One other – very apparent – cause for racing in F2 is the Tremendous License factors on supply. tenth place within the championship receives three factors, and eighth offers him the six he requires to hit the magic variety of 40 (the highest three within the standings all robotically get the required 40, too). Even simply the factors for P10 would put him a lot nearer to the overall, lowering the variety of FP1 classes he’d must run in – classes he would be capable of extra simply participate in by not racing in IndyCar.
There’s additionally monitor expertise. Racing on the identical circuit as F1 in every of the F2 weekends would additional construct up Herta’s data of the venues on the similar time that Cadillac can be competing on them. He’d even be utilizing Pirelli tires which can be designed to degrade in comparable trend to these utilized in F1. Although they’re removed from equivalent, and the equipment additionally impacts how the tire feels to the motive force, it’s a element that will put him on a extra stage taking part in discipline in opposition to different drivers who come up by the F1 ladder.
As small as every of these final two factors are, whenever you mix all of these facets there’s a clear profit when it comes to Herta being higher ready if he does get an opportunity to race in F1 in future.
We might debate whether or not the ladder and Tremendous License factors are accurately structured when somebody as proficient and profitable in IndyCar as Herta nonetheless doesn’t have clearance to race in F1, but when Herta and TWG do decide to that preparation by F2, it might present an enormous deal of respect for the present system.
F2 “prep college” has clearly served Hadjar and Bortoletto properly in F1. Peter Fox/Getty Pictures
The inflow of rookies from F2 this yr are a working example as to each the professionals and cons of such a transfer.
Isack Hadjar took his first podium on Sunday at Zandvoort, excelling for Racing Bulls in his first season after ending as runner-up in final yr’s F2 championship. Hadjar additionally got here by F3, earlier than two years in F2, however is now being touted as a future Pink Bull driver.
2024 F2 champion Gabriel Bortoleto has impressed massively at Sauber, with a top-six end to his identify this yr already. Kimi Antonelli picked up his first podium in Canada, and Oliver Bearman was a career-best sixth simply three days in the past for Haas.
But Bearman and Antonelli are proof that racing in F2 is not any assure of success or Tremendous License factors. Bearman received three races in 2024 however completed twelfth within the championship, whereas Antonelli additionally light from competition, regardless of the pair being teammates on the normally sturdy PREMA workforce.
However motion of engineers and mechanics, plus at-times-temperamental equipment, can create clear strengths and weaknesses among the many groups regardless of the spec nature of the collection. Add in only one brief follow session forward of qualifying, and there’s little time to iron out points throughout a weekend.
Bearman and Antonelli no less than had the Tremendous License factors already in hand, however their respective seasons final yr – and performances thus far this season – ought to show that they’ve the flexibility even when they weren’t all the time in a position to present it in F2. It’s a incontrovertible fact that Herta, TWG and all of his supporters ought to take into account if an F2 drive is confirmed. Outcomes would possibly properly be the goal, however they’re nonetheless not solely all the way down to the motive force and their skills.
Such a transfer dangers hurting Herta’s popularity to these solely taking a look at his ending positions ought to he wrestle in opposition to youthful drivers who’ve been on the identical path for years. However even when the Tremendous License factors don’t observe, then the preparation for the subsequent step up – notably when paired with an F1 workforce function – remains to be useful both approach.
