Colton Herta goes "back to school" as IndyCar gets swapped with F2 as part of Cadillac F1's "big" plan

It's "back to school" season for Colton Herta as he transitions from IndyCar to the worlds of Formula 1 and Formula 2 in 2026. The 25-year-old will take a step down to race for Hitech Grand Prix in F2 next year, a partnership that will serve a dual purpose.

Herta will earn valuable experience in the junior category, getting to understand the behavior of the Pirelli tires used in F1, and also the tracks that the series races on. Simultaneously, it will help the American driver, who is managed by TWG Motorsports, the parent company of both Cadillac F1 and his former IndyCar team, Andretti Global, rack up the required points to earn an FIA Super Licence, which would make him eligible for an F1 seat in 2027.

In an interview with former IndyCar driver James Hinchcliffe for F1TV, Colton Herta opened up about his preparation for this new journey.

"It’s back to school," he said. "It’s back to learning a lot of basics. How you drive each Formula car, even though they look the same, they’re quite different, and the Formula 2 car is very different. It’s back to basics - try to learn how I need to brake, how I need to get off the brake and back to throttle, managing the Pirelli tire, which are very different to our Firestones in IndyCar."

He added:

"So there’s a lot of new stuff, but I’m excited for it. There’s a lot of stuff that’s going to be new for me next year, but there’s a lot of stuff that I remember from my F3 days and my F4 days. It’s going to be exciting. It’s a big programme."

Colton Herta raced in the European Formula ladder during his junior career, including a year in various F3 championships in 2015. The American driver was also teammates with 2025 F1 drivers' championship leader Lando Norris at Carlin in the MSA Formula Championship that year.

Colton Herta wary of 'foolish' expectations about F2 debut

Colton Herta at the IndyCar Snap-On Milwaukee Mile 250 - Source: Getty

Colton Herta has already tested an older-generation F2 car in early November. The two-day test was organized by Katayema at Monza, and the nine-time and youngest IndyCar race winner was quickest on day one of testing in wet conditions.

When he lines up for the first F2 race weekend of the 2026 season in Melbourne, Australia, the American driver will be the oldest and the most experienced driver on the grid. However, the 25-year-old doesn't harbor bold expectations, like winning on his F2 debut.

In an interview on F2's website, Colton Herta spoke about his mindset about his rookie F2 season, saying:

"It's a new start, it's a fresh opportunity, it's something new to me, so it's exciting. But I think the main thing is whenever I am in the race car, I want to be competitive. That has to be the goal — to be competitive, and try to achieve that as quickly as possible. I think it would be foolish to sit here and think that I will be on the pace right away, that I will be on the pace and ready to win in my first race."

The step down from IndyCar to F2 is a way of making Colton Herta 'earn' an F1 seat instead of being handed one at Cadillac F1 just because it is a sister team to Andretti Global. TWG Motorsports CEO Dan Towriss and Cadillac F1 team principal Graeme Lowdon have emphasized this on more than one occasion.