It’s official: Colton Herta will not be returning to the IndyCar Series in 2026.
Only a few weeks ago that seemed like a fanciful outcome, especially with Cadillac opting for two experienced drivers in its Formula 1 team on what it described as multi-year contracts.
That could have given Herta another year or two to secure the FIA Super License points he’d need in IndyCar, but, instead, he is going to be integrated into the Cadillac setup right away.
There’s been no secret made of the desire to give Herta a shot in Formula 1, with the original Andretti Global bid suggesting he would ideally be one of its race drivers. Now, the Dan Towriss-run TWG Motorsports operation is looking to create a pathway from IndyCar to one of the F1 seats.
At 25, it would be a big step for Herta to stop racing to commit to the F1 role full-time, but he is leaving IndyCar and right now has not announced his 2026 racing program.
It is feasible that he won’t have a large one – six FP1 outings that see him cover at least 100km and not pick up a penalty would earn him the required points for his Super License – but the most likely scenario is that Herta will pair his now-confirmed Cadillac test driver job with a Formula 2 ride.
Yes, it is a step down from being a nine-time race winner in IndyCar to a rookie in F2, but there are multiple reasons why the move would make sense.
Firstly, with his Cadillac role now confirmed, racing in the F1 feeder series would keep Herta in and around the team all year while also being able to stay race sharp. All of the F2 events are support races during an F1 weekend, so there would be no clashes in his schedule that would prevent him being on-site with the team.
Another – very obvious – reason for racing in F2 is the Super License points on offer. 10th place in the championship receives three points, and eighth gives him the six he requires to hit the magic number of 40 (the top three in the standings all automatically get the necessary 40, too). Even just the points for P10 would put him much closer to the total, reducing the number of FP1 sessions he’d need to run in – sessions he would be able to more easily take part in by not racing in IndyCar.
There’s also track experience. Racing on the same circuit as F1 in each of the F2 weekends would further build up Herta’s knowledge of the venues at the same time that Cadillac will be competing on them. He’d also be using Pirelli tires that are designed to degrade in similar fashion to those used in F1. Though they are far from identical, and the machinery also impacts how the tire feels to the driver, it’s a detail that would put him on a more level playing field against other drivers who come up through the F1 ladder.
As small as each of those last two points are, when you combine all of those aspects there is a clear benefit in terms of Herta being better prepared if he does get a chance to race in F1 in future.
We could debate whether the ladder and Super License points are correctly structured when someone as talented and successful in IndyCar as Herta still doesn’t have clearance to race in F1, but if Herta and TWG do commit to that preparation through F2, it would show a huge deal of respect for the current system.
F2 “prep school” has clearly served Hadjar and Bortoletto well in F1. Peter Fox/Getty Images
The influx of rookies from F2 this year are a case in point as to both the pros and cons of such a move.
Isack Hadjar took his first podium on Sunday at Zandvoort, excelling for Racing Bulls in his first season after finishing as runner-up in last year’s F2 championship. Hadjar also came through F3, before two years in F2, but is now being touted as a future Red Bull driver.
2024 F2 champion Gabriel Bortoleto has impressed massively at Sauber, with a top-six finish to his name this year already. Kimi Antonelli picked up his first podium in Canada, and Oliver Bearman was a career-best sixth just three days ago for Haas.
Yet Bearman and Antonelli are proof that racing in F2 is no guarantee of success or Super License points. Bearman won three races in 2024 but finished 12th in the championship, while Antonelli also faded from contention, despite the pair being teammates at the usually strong PREMA team.
But movement of engineers and mechanics, plus at-times-temperamental machinery, can create clear strengths and weaknesses among the teams despite the spec nature of the series. Add in just one short practice session ahead of qualifying, and there’s little time to iron out issues during a weekend.
Bearman and Antonelli at least had the Super License points already in hand, but their respective seasons last year – and performances so far this season – should prove that they have the ability even if they weren’t always able to show it in F2. It’s a fact that Herta, TWG and all of his supporters should keep in mind if an F2 drive is confirmed. Results might well be the target, but they’re still not solely down to the driver and their abilities.
Such a move risks hurting Herta’s reputation to those solely looking at his finishing positions should he struggle against younger drivers who have been on the same path for years. But even if the Super License points don’t follow, then the preparation for the next step up – particularly when paired with an F1 team role – is still valuable either way.