{"id":121569,"date":"2025-09-05T10:25:13","date_gmt":"2025-09-05T10:25:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/121569\/"},"modified":"2025-09-05T10:25:13","modified_gmt":"2025-09-05T10:25:13","slug":"this-is-my-last-shot-at-reaching-f1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/121569\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018This is my last shot at reaching F1\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

One does not often see proven professional racers stepping back to junior formulae, yet that\u2019s exactly what Colton Herta<\/a> is doing for 2026.<\/p>\n

Having signed with the Cadillac Formula 1 team<\/a> as a test and development driver, Herta is in contention for a full-time drive in 2027. F1 has been his dream all along, and he\u2019s putting his career on the line for it.<\/p>\n

Read Also:<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone\u2019s seen how close I\u2019ve come before,\u201d said the driver whom Andretti always had in mind as it strived to get an F1 entry \u2013 also someone who nearly got a 2023 AlphaTauri drive until superlicence points turned out to be an insurmountable obstacle \u2013 in the Off Track with Hinch and Rossi podcast.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think this is my best shot at getting to Formula 1.\u201d Not just a shot \u2013 even a \u201clifeline\u201d. That\u2019s how much F1 matters to him.<\/p>\n

\"Colton <\/p>\n

Colton Herta, Andretti Global<\/p>\n

Photo by: Gavin Baker \/ Lumen via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Herta may be just 25 years of age, but the Andretti driver has been an established IndyCar frontrunner. He became a race winner in the series just days before his 19th birthday and has taken eight more victories since then, finishing third in the 2020 championship and second in 2024.<\/p>\n

Moving to F2 at this stage of a career can be dangerous. This is a notoriously tricky championship to succeed in. In recent years, one driver made a similar switch: 2023 Super GT and Super Formula champion Ritomo Miyata<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Toyota protege Miyata entered both F2 and ELMS in 2024, with a reserve driver role within the manufacturer\u2019s WEC outfit; he had a bright future as the main contender to replace Kamui Kobayashi<\/a> when the Toyota team principal eventually retired from driving the GR010 Hybrid himself.<\/p>\n

While he did take two victories in ELMS, the Japanese driver struggled immensely in F2, taking 19th position in the championship. Now 26, Miyata doesn\u2019t race in ELMS anymore and is no longer listed as a Toyota WEC reserve driver; his sophomore F2 season is not going much better than his first campaign. He did take a maiden podium finish with second place in the Spa-Francorchamps feature race, but that\u2019s just one of his 47 race starts in the series.<\/p>\n

\"Ritomo <\/p>\n

Ritomo Miyata, ART Grand Prix, Roman Stanek, Invicta Racing<\/p>\n

Photo by: Formula Motorsport Ltd<\/p>\n

\u201cIt goes without saying, the risk factor\u2026\u201d Herta admitted. \u201cFor me, it was an incredibly tough decision to make, because I know what I\u2019m leaving behind. I\u2019m leaving behind a great group of guys, an incredibly competitive championship where if it\u2019s your day you can win, and we\u2019ve seen that\u2019s not always the case in Formula 1 \u2013 you need the car to compete.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe easy thing would be to stay in IndyCar. That would be simple for me. I\u2019d live a very similar life.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a risk, and it\u2019s 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\u2019s really just about fighting for my dream.\u201d<\/p>\n

The thing is, Herta isn\u2019t certain he\u2019ll get a Cadillac F1 seat in 2027.<\/p>\n

Unlike the AlphaTauri fiasco three years ago, superlicence points likely won\u2019t be an issue \u2013 Herta already has 34 points after finishing second and seventh in the last two IndyCar seasons. All he needs is a top-eight result in F2, and one can assume that\u2019s the least Cadillac expects of him.<\/p>\n

What Herta needs is to show he\u2019s got what it takes to succeed in F1 and prove he\u2019s an upgrade over Sergio Perez<\/a> or Valtteri Bottas<\/a> \u2013 and he\u2019s pretty confident.<\/p>\n

Asked if the lack of guarantees regarding his F1 future made his decision scary, he said: \u201cNo, not for me.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a racing driver, you constantly are betting on yourself. For me, this is just one of those things where I\u2019m betting on myself. I believe in myself, I believe that I\u2019m fast enough to do it.<\/p>\n

\"Colton <\/p>\n

Colton Herta, Andretti Global<\/p>\n

Photo by: Penske Entertainment<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s not saying it\u2019s going to be easy \u2013 it\u2019s going to be a lot of work to understand the differences from grand prix racing to IndyCar racing, but it\u2019s something I\u2019m going to work for, 100% diving into it.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I didn\u2019t think that I can do it \u2013 like I said, it\u2019s a super big risk \u2013 I would stay in IndyCar. But I believe in myself, and I believe I\u2019m fast enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

Staying in IndyCar was an option, however it was ruled out given Herta would have had little time to really integrate the F1 world \u2013 which he can easily do from the F2 paddock, a stone\u2019s throw away from the F1 area \u2013 and get some testing done.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, unlike previous years, the Indy 500<\/a> won\u2019t clash with the Monaco Grand Prix<\/a> \u2013 or any F2 round \u2013 which Herta found out about on the podcast.<\/p>\n

The Californian didn\u2019t rule out a one-off outing in IndyCar\u2019s most prestigious race. \u201cIf it makes sense, it\u2019s definitely something that I would be open to, but it has to make sense, right?\u201d he mused after collecting his thoughts. \u201cIt can\u2019t hold us back from the ultimate goal, which is trying to reach Formula 1 with Cadillac F1.\u201d<\/p>\n

And whatever happens \u2013 or doesn\u2019t happen \u2013 in F1, an IndyCar comeback beckons down the line. \u201cThis isn\u2019t a forever goodbye to IndyCar by any means,\u201d Herta professed. \u201cI see myself coming back to IndyCar at some stage in my career, just because I love it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Colton <\/p>\n

Colton Herta, Andretti Global<\/p>\n

Photo by: Penske Entertainment<\/p>\n

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