Colton Herta will make his Monte Carlo racing debut at the 2026 F2 Monaco GP, with the Hitech driver aiming for a better Qualifying result.
So far this season, Herta has qualified P14 in Melbourne and Miami before recently dropping down to P19 in Montreal. Despite qualifying in the back, the American has consistently demonstrated a strong race pace, making his way into the points in every Feature Race.
However, now, poor Qualifying results will bring extra trouble due to Monaco’s narrow layout and limited overtaking opportunities.
Analyzing the Circuit de Monaco
After completing a track walk around the 3.337km Circuit de Monaco, Herta reflected on the street circuit’s features, comparing them to those he had completed when racing in IndyCar.
“It feels great to be here. I think it’s a very interesting track, it’s very different to the street circuits I’m used to,” he said. “I would say the street circuits in America are a bit more street circuity I guess, just from the fact that you have roads that aren’t super manicured. But when you come over here with F1, it’s all very nice, neat, very smooth.”
Having only ever completed simulator work, he continued: “Each have their positives and negatives, but I’m excited to see what a track this narrow kind of feels like when it’s this smooth. I like the flow of it. I think Qualifying, as everybody knows, is super important, and that’s probably the most fun part of the weekend, it is when you really get to push the car on the limit.”
“It’s the Achilles heel for me”: Herta on his Qualifying performance
Having qualified outside the top ten in the first three 2026 F2 rounds, Herta acknowledged that one-lap pace has become his weakness, despite feeling comfortable in the car.
“It’s not for a lack of comfort, especially on street circuits, which is all we have been to so far,” he explained. “So, it’s not from a lack of comfort. I’m very comfortable getting up close with the walls, picking my line and committing to it.”
“But I think there’s a few things to polish up. I still feel very competitive in the car, but it’s not really transpiring in the end. It’s the Achilles heel for me right now.”
Aiming to improve, he added: “If we can just qualify well, we’re scoring points in every Feature Race, the race pace is really strong. If we can just qualify a little bit more towards the front, and if we can get into the top ten, that’s going to make our weekend. We’ll be able to fight from there.”
The Cadillac-backed driver currently sits 12th in the Drivers’ Standings with the 16 points he gained from his Feature Race recovery drives.
Herta eyes maiden F2 trophy at the 2026 Monaco GP
Herta concluded by saying that he would love to jump into the water in Monaco to continue the celebratory motorsport tradition. However, he noted that doing so with his first F2 trophy in his hand would be even more special.
“I told you I’ll probably jump in anyways,” he joked. “But it would feel better with a belly full of champagne and a trophy in my hand, that’s for sure. So, we’ll aim for that.”
