Colton Herta has stepped away from the IndyCar circuit to join Cadillac F1 as the incoming team’s official test driver, and the 25-year-old American driver has called this his “best shot” of entering Formula 1.

Herta has been chasing down a seat in the top tier of international open-wheel racing for years, first looking at a 2023 AlphaTauri seat before superlicense issues kept him in the United States. Now, he’s determined to make his dream come true.

Colton Herta identifies “best shot” at joining Formula 1

After years of trying to crack into the Formula 1 world, American racer Colton Herta finally has his best shot at the international series.

That’s because the former IndyCar driver has signed on as test driver for the incoming Cadillac F1 team. Though Herta had been rumored to be a potential driver option for the team stretching back to when it was first named Andretti thanks to his ties to the IndyCar outfit of the same name, his lack of super license points means he’s been discounted from a race seat.

For now, at least.

Herta is looking to secure Free Practice 1 outings in order to rack up additional points, perhaps competing in Formula 2 or other international open-wheel racing series in order to continue bolstering that total.

But the American is determined to make the most of this opportunity, as it represents his “best shot” at making it to the big leagues.

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Herta joined the Off-Track with Hinch and Rossi podcast for its first post-IndyCar season recording, where the young American driver publicly spoke in depth about the news that he’s leaving the US-focused sport for Formula 1.

“I think this is my best shot at getting to Formula 1,” Herta claimed.

Herta pointed out that he’d been gunning for an F1 seat for years, referencing rumors that he would join the AlphaTauri team for the 2023 season. However, Herta lacked the necessary super license points, and the FIA opted not to enact its “force majeure” clause to facilitate the signing.

Herta still lacks the requisite super license points to enter Formula 1 — but he’s hoping that a full commitment to the European racing scene will facilitate that acquisition.

“It goes without saying, the risk factor…” Herta said on the podcast, trailing off.

“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.”

With his eye on a seat at Cadillac, the unknowns are huge for Herta. No one knows how the team will perform upon debut, nor do they know how it will evolve.

Herta acknowledged that by stating, “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.”

It’s a dream that may not come to fruition, as Cadillac has signed two highly experienced drivers for reported “multi-year” contracts. Herta will need to earn and then maintain a total of 40 super license points heading into 2027 — and even then, he may find himself without an open seat.

But that’s nothing new for Herta.

“As a racing driver, you constantly are betting on yourself,” the driver said.

“For me, this is just one of those things where I’m betting on myself. I believe in myself, I believe that I’m fast enough to do it.

“That’s not saying it’s going to be easy. It’s going to be a lot of work to understand the differences from grand prix racing to IndyCar racing, but it’s something I’m going to work for, 100 per cent diving into it.

“If I didn’t think that I can do it – like I said, it’s a super big risk – I would stay in IndyCar. But I believe in myself, and I believe I’m fast enough.”

Could a return to IndyCar come in the future? Herta didn’t rule it out.

Regarding a one-off race while traveling the world with Cadillac, Herta said he’d be “open to” the opportunity, but that “it can’t hold us back from the ultimate goal, which is trying to reach Formula 1 with Cadillac F1.”

And when this international era comes to a close, Herta knows he has a future back in America.

“This isn’t a forever goodbye to IndyCar by any means,” Herta said. “I see myself coming back to IndyCar at some stage in my career, just because I love it.”

Cadillac will make its Formula 1 debut in 2026, helmed by Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas.

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