Colton Herta is done waiting. After years of near-misses and bureaucratic roadblocks, the American racing star has taken the most decisive step of his career, leaving IndyCar behind to join Cadillac’s Formula 1 project as a test driver while simultaneously competing in Formula 2 to finally secure the superlicence points that once slipped through his fingers.
An Easy Decision With High Stakes
For Herta, the choice to leave the series where he built his reputation was straightforward. Cadillac’s arrival as an FIA-approved F1 constructor for 2026 created a rare alignment of timing, opportunity, and American ambition that was difficult to ignore. The dual role as test driver and F2 competitor gives Herta a structured, credible pathway into the sport rather than another speculative conversation that goes nowhere.
The 24-year-old had prior discussions with Sauber before ultimately committing to the Cadillac programme, which suggests he was evaluating multiple routes into F1 rather than simply accepting the first opportunity that presented itself. That Cadillac was his final choice speaks to the seriousness of their project and the clarity of what they are offering: a real seat in a real programme with a genuine 2026 timeline.
The Superlicence Problem That Would Not Go Away
To understand why Herta is racing in Formula 2 at this stage of his career, it is necessary to revisit one of motorsport’s most discussed eligibility disputes. In 2022, Herta was strongly linked with a move to AlphaTauri to replace Pierre Gasly. He was a proven IndyCar race winner, well-regarded by Red Bull’s driver programme consultants, and by most competitive measures ready for the step. The FIA said otherwise.
The governing body declined to grant Herta a superlicence exemption, citing an insufficient points total under their formula that weights results from specific feeder series and championships. IndyCar, despite its status as one of the world’s most demanding open-wheel categories, does not carry the same superlicence weighting as European formulae. Herta fell short of the required 40-point threshold, and the move collapsed.
That episode left a scar on the conversation around superlicence rules and whether they adequately reflect a driver’s readiness for Formula 1. Three years on, Herta is not waiting for the FIA to change its position. He is doing it the hard way, heading into Formula 2 to earn the points on the governing body’s own terms.
Formula 2 as a Proving Ground, Not a Step Back
It would be easy to frame Herta’s F2 campaign as a demotion or a humbling exercise for a driver who has won races at the highest level of American open-wheel competition. That framing misses the point entirely. Formula 2 is the primary superlicence points feeder into F1, and a strong campaign in the series would not only clear his eligibility but also demonstrate form in the machinery and tyre compounds that are far closer to what he will eventually drive for Cadillac.
European junior formulae develop specific skills around tyre management, undercut strategy awareness, and operating within dense, compact grids where track position is harder to recover once lost. These are skills that translate directly to F1 and that Herta, for all his IndyCar brilliance, will benefit from sharpening. The F2 campaign is both a box-ticking exercise and a genuine developmental programme.
Cadillac’s 2026 Project and What Herta Represents
Cadillac’s approval to enter Formula 1 as an 11th constructor from the 2026 season was one of the sport’s more significant political and commercial stories of recent years. After a prolonged battle for acceptance that included rejection, appeals, and eventual FIA sign-off, General Motors and Cadillac are building toward a genuine grid presence. Herta as their test driver is not just a marketing headline. It is a statement about the programme’s intent.
Having an American driver embedded in the team as they develop their 2026 car carries obvious commercial logic in a post-Drive to Survive era where the United States has become one of Formula 1’s most valuable markets. But Herta’s value to Cadillac extends beyond his nationality. He is fast, he is experienced in high-pressure racing environments, and if his F2 campaign goes well, he becomes a natural candidate for one of their race seats when the team takes to the grid.
The symmetry is compelling. Cadillac needs a story. Herta needs a seat. Both need credibility. The partnership offers all three a path forward.
Colton Herta’s move to Cadillac and Formula 2 is more than a career pivot. It is the resolution of a years-long frustration playing out in real time, with a 2026 deadline that gives the whole programme genuine urgency. If he performs in F2, clears the superlicence threshold, and impresses within Cadillac’s technical operation, he could become one of the most meaningful American stories in Formula 1 in a generation. The next chapter starts now, and for the first time in a while, the roadblocks look smaller than the opportunity ahead.