Colton Herta will finally get his long-awaited Formula 1 opportunity after Cadillac F1 Team announced the 25-year-old American as their first test driver ahead of their 2026 grid debut. The appointment gives a crucial lifeline to a driver whose F1 dreams the sport’s Super Licence system has repeatedly blocked.
The nine-time IndyCar race winner will work alongside the experienced race driver pairing of Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Pérez as the American manufacturer prepares to join the F1 grid. For Herta, it marks a return to European racing after nearly a decade focused on American motorsport.
The Super Licence roadblock
Herta’s journey to this moment has been marked by frustration with F1’s licensing requirements. Despite seven IndyCar victories and nine pole positions by age 22, the Californian fell short of the 40 Super Licence points needed for an F1 race seat, collecting only 32 following a tenth-place IndyCar championship finish in 2022.
The Super Licence system, introduced after Max Verstappen’s F1 debut at 17, has long been criticized for undervaluing achievements in IndyCar compared to junior single-seater categories. Herta became the poster child for these limitations, watching potential opportunities with McLaren and AlphaTauri slip away despite his obvious talent.
Andretti Global, with whom Herta signed through 2027, had hoped to field him as the face of their planned F1 entry. However, as that project evolved into Cadillac’s successful bid to join the grid, Herta’s path seemed to close when the team opted for the proven experience of Bottas and Pérez for their debut season.
A strategic opportunity
The test driver role, however, offers Herta something potentially more valuable than an immediate race seat: time to build Super Licence points and prove his worth on F1 machinery. Unlike the gamble of stepping down to Formula 2, this position allows him to develop within an F1 environment while maintaining his established career trajectory.
“I’m incredibly excited to be joining the Cadillac Formula 1 Team as a Test Driver,” Herta said. “This is a dream opportunity, and one I’ve been working towards for a long time. To be part of Cadillac F1’s entry at such a pivotal time is something I couldn’t pass up. My dream has always been to race in Formula 1, and I see this move as a huge step towards that goal. For now, my focus is on giving everything I can to Cadillac F1, helping build a competitive team.”
Cadillac Team Principal Graeme Lowdon emphasized both Herta’s talent and the symbolic importance of the appointment: “We are delighted to welcome Colton Herta as a Test Driver. Colton is an exceptionally talented racer with proven speed, race craft, and maturity well beyond his years.”
“His experience in top-level American motorsport as part of the TWG Motorsport family makes him an ideal fit for this role, and he will bring valuable and fresh insight, perspective, and energy to our team as we continue to build for the future.”
“Having an American driver join an American Formula 1 team is a hugely significant moment, not only for our Team, but for American motorsport as a whole. Colton represents the passion, ambition, and competitive spirit that define the Cadillac Formula 1 Team, and we are proud to have him carry the American flag with us on the world stage.”
European experience counts
While Herta has spent the majority of his career in American racing, he brings valuable European experience from his formative years. Between 2015 and 2017, he secured four victories and five pole positions in the Euroformula Open Championship, plus three podiums in British F3 including a victory at Brands Hatch.
That foundation, combined with his proven racecraft in IndyCar and sports car racing success including overall victory at the 12 Hours of Sebring in 2024, creates a compelling profile for F1 teams seeking American market appeal.
The path forward
For Herta, this represents perhaps the most realistic route to achieving his F1 ambitions. Rather than the high-risk move to Formula 2 that many had speculated about, the test driver role offers a measured path to accumulate the necessary credentials while proving himself in F1 machinery.
The timing could hardly be better. With Cadillac entering F1 amid growing American interest in the sport, Herta’s profile as a homegrown talent aligns perfectly with the team’s market positioning. If he can demonstrate his capabilities in testing and potentially Friday practice sessions, a race seat for 2027 or beyond becomes increasingly realistic.
