The 2026 FIA Formula 2 season will see Colton Herta and Nicolás ‘Nico’ Varrone join the likes of Nikola Tsolov and Joshua Dürksen on the competitive F2 grid, bringing proven winning experience from two very different corners of motorsport. Herta arrives after eight seasons in IndyCar, where he became the youngest race winner in series history and secured multiple victories and podiums, while Varrone returns from a highly successful endurance racing career, including a class win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and an FIA World Endurance Championship title in LMGTE Am.
Their entry represents a rare crossover in F2, with a single-seater star and an endurance specialist testing themselves against the traditional junior formula drivers. During a virtual media session attended by Pit Debrief, ahead of the 2025 Qatar Grand Prix, Nikola Tsolov and Joshua Dürksen, both set for 2026 campaigns with Campos Racing and Invicta Racing, respectively, welcomed the newcomers Herta and Varrone, highlighting that the presence of proven winners from other categories would elevate the level of competition and challenge everyone to push harder.
IndyCar star Herta joins F2 with Hitech and Cadillac F1 Team backing
Herta arrives in F2 after an extensive career in the IndyCar Series from 2018 to 2025. Born in 2000 and the son of former IndyCar and Champ Car driver Bryan Herta, he became the youngest race winner in IndyCar history when he triumphed at the Circuit of the Americas in 2019 at just 18 years old.
Across his IndyCar career, Herta secured multiple victories, pole positions and podium finishes. He finished second in the 2024 championship standings, marking his strongest campaign to date. In parallel, he built experience in endurance racing, winning class honours at the 24 Hours of Daytona and claiming overall success in IMSA competition.
However, Herta’s long-standing ambition has always centred on Formula 1. Despite testing opportunities with McLaren and interest from Red Bull’s AlphaTauri project, he fell short of the FIA Super Licence points required for an F1 seat. As a result, he now joins Hitech TGR in Formula 2 for 2026, supported by Cadillac, while also serving as a test and development driver for the Cadillac Formula 1 Team.
Endurance star Varrone returns to single-seaters with Van Amersfoort Racing amid resurgence in Argentine support
Meanwhile, Varrone brings a very different résumé. The Argentine built his early career in single-seaters, winning the V de V Challenge Monoplace title in Europe before financial constraints and the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted his progress in British F3.
Consequently, he pivoted to endurance racing, where he flourished. In 2023, he won the FIA World Endurance Championship in the LMGTE Am class with Corvette Racing and secured victory in class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. He followed that achievement with an LMP2 Pro-Am class win at Le Mans in 2024 and stepped up to the Hypercar class in 2025 with Proton Competition.
Now, Varrone returns to single-seaters with Van Amersfoort Racing for the 2026 F2 season, seeking to translate his endurance experience into success on the junior single-seater ladder.
Tsolov welcomes newcomers: “I think it’s really good for the sport”
Against that backdrop, Tsolov, who stepped up to F2 ahead of the penultimate Lusail Round after a finishing runner-up in F3, emphasised the excitement surrounding arriving from different disciplines. He acknowledged the pedigree both newcomers bring and underlined the technical and sporting intrigue their presence creates.
“Yeah, it’s quite exciting to see people from totally different motorsport areas coming into one in Formula 2 in such a high level, IndyCar and other stuff. I’m excited to see what happens, how quick he is and where he performs for sure.”
While he pointed to the learning curve awaiting both Herta and Varrone, particularly on European circuits, he recognised the opportunity for mutual development across the grid.
“He’s going to have to learn a lot about the tracks in Europe and probably we can learn a lot of stuff from him. It will be interesting to find the weaknesses and strengths from both sides. I think that just makes the whole grid and the whole level higher. I think it’s really good for the sport, to be honest.”
Tsolov believes Herta and Varrone will strengthen, not disrupt, the 2026 F2 grid, and expects their diverse backgrounds to raise the level of competition across the field.
Dürksen agrees with Tsolov, emphasising that newcomers Herta and Varrone highlight the competitiveness and cross-category appeal of F2
Similarly, Dürksen believes the move will underline just how competitive F2 has become. In his view, direct comparisons between categories will highlight the championship’s quality.
“It’s also really exciting. I think this will also show the world how competitive F2 is. Just to connect these categories, it’s going to be a really interesting comparison to see how a really good driver in IndyCar does in F2 and also in the case of Nico, how a very good driver in endurance racing does in F2.”
Furthermore, Dürksen emphasised the mutual learning process that such a mix creates.
“I’m just really looking forward to it. I think they will bring a lot of new experiences into this category. As Nikola said, we can learn a lot from them. They will learn a lot from us and I just really like that mix. I think it kind of connects all the categories and shows how competitive F2 is. So I’m really looking forward to it.”
Tsolov and Dürksen expect a defining comparison season as Herta and Varrone join the 2026 F2 grid
Ultimately, the 2026 F2 season will provide a rare head-to-head comparison between established race winners from IndyCar and endurance racing and the traditional single-seater development pathway.
Herta arrives with the pressure of securing the Super Licence points required to unlock a potential Formula 1 opportunity. Varrone returns to single-seaters after conquering some of endurance racing’s biggest stages. Meanwhile, drivers such as Tsolov and Dürksen prepare to defend their ground in F2 against the proven international talent of Herta and Varrone.
As a result, the grid will not simply feature future prospects. It will feature drivers determined to prove that success in one discipline can translate to another — and that Formula 2 remains one of the most demanding proving grounds in world motorsport.
