Colton Herta recovered to score his first points at the F2 Australian GP, climbing from the midfield to finish seventh in the Melbourne Feature Race. The Hitech driver endured a difficult start to the weekend after crashing in Friday’s Free Practice and qualifying only 14th later that day. A disappointing Sprint Race left him 17th on the road, but he fought back strongly on Sunday. Despite the progress, Herta admitted frustration after mistakes earlier in the weekend left him playing catch-up in Melbourne.
Herta critical of his own performance despite points finish at F2 Australian GP
Herta gave his own performance a harsh assessment after the F2 Australian GP, describing it as below the standard he expected from himself. While he acknowledged that scoring points was an important positive, he felt the result could have been significantly stronger without a number of clear mistakes across the weekend. The American nevertheless praised his Hitech team for their efforts, highlighting the work done to rebuild the car after his practice crash, the strong pit stops and strategy, and a set-up that allowed him to push during the race.
“C minus. Unsatisfactory. It was okay. It could have been a lot better without some pretty obvious mistakes. I guess the only positive is that we scored points today and the guys did a great job.”
“They did a great job putting the car back together after Practice, they did a great job in the pits, I thought the setup was also very nice, and I thought the pitstops and strategy were great.”
Lack of track time compounds challenge at new circuit
Herta pointed to his crash in Free Practice as the moment that put him on the back foot for the rest of the weekend. Racing at a circuit he had never driven before, he admitted it was crucial to complete as many laps as possible to build experience and confidence. Instead, the mistake limited his track time and left him playing catch-up from the outset.
The American felt that setback made the challenge even greater against rivals who already knew the Albert Park circuit well. Missing valuable running, he believed, ultimately shaped the direction of the weekend and made it far harder to extract the full potential of both car and driver.
“So I think that just leads to not being happy with the Friday. It’s unacceptable to crash in Practice at anytime, but especially at a track that I’ve never been to when basically everybody on the grid has.”
“I’m already fighting an upward battle and that just didn’t do me any favours. I need to complete all the laps and do as much as I can in the driver’s seat to learn. I didn’t do myself any favours so that set us up for failure to be honest the rest of the weekend.”
Even so, Herta acknowledged the strong recovery through the field on Sunday and credited the team for the work they put in throughout the weekend. While he believed the fightback showed promise, he remained frustrated with his own performance and felt the result could have been much stronger.
“But still, I think there are a lot of positives about our fight back. The guys should be happy with their effort this weekend. But for me, I’m not particularly happy about it.”
P14 start leaves Herta with work to do at 2026 F2 Australian GP
Herta also highlighted Qualifying as another key factor in his difficult first weekend in F2 at the Australian GP. In F2, he explained, starting inside the top ten is essential to maximise the chance of scoring points in both races, something he was unable to achieve after lining up 14th on the grid. Although he believed points were still possible from that position with a flawless execution, he admitted that neither he nor the team delivered a perfect weekend. As a result, he felt there was plenty for him to analyse and improve on moving forward.
“Qualifying in F2, your goal needs to be, at a bare minimum, to qualify in the top ten. So you’re in position to score points in both the Sprint and the Feature, which I failed to do. Now, I think there is a possibility of points in both races if you do things perfectly from where I started. But we didn’t do things perfectly. So there’s plenty to reflect on from my side, and for me to do better. Which is nice.”
American expects progress with more time in the car
Herta also acknowledged the wider challenge of adapting to a new championship and unfamiliar circuits. With Melbourne marking both the season opener and his first experience of Albert Park, he expected the learning curve to be steep. However, he remained confident that with more time in the car, the driving would start to feel more natural.
“You just have to keep pushing and trying. I understood the challenges I had when I was trying this. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy, especially at a place like this. This is probably going to be one of the tougher ones. It’s the first race weekend, and I have never driven here. So there is a lot of new stuff, but I think the more time I get in the car, the more natural it’s going to be, and it’s just not natural yet.”
Herta determined to improve despite points finish
Despite the frustrations, Herta believes the weekend still offers valuable lessons for the rounds ahead. While he acknowledged there were a few positives to take away, he admitted most aspects of the weekend left him dissatisfied. For the American, however, that disappointment can be productive, as it highlights the areas where improvement is needed.
He also welcomed the team’s mindset after the race, stressing that neither he nor Hitech should be satisfied with finishing seventh. Instead, he viewed the result as motivation to push for more in the coming rounds, with both driver and team determined to raise their level.
“It’s a good thing to take forward for the rest of the rounds. Like I said, I’m happy about some of the stuff. But most of the stuff, I’m not. But that’s good. There’s plenty of stuff to learn from and be better, and I like that we as a team are not happy or satisfied with seventh, because we shouldn’t be.”
