Colton Herta keeps 'foolish' notion about F2 debut aside in anticipation of 'tough' road to F1

Colton Herta has rejected any notions about guaranteed success on his F2 debut with Hitech Grand Prix in 2026, highlighting how it would be "foolish" to expect a win in his first race. The 25-year-old has left a high-paying IndyCar seat with Andretti Global to take a step down and race in F2 next year.

In a recent interview on F2's website, Herta called it a "necessary" step to learn the ropes in the F1 ladder while simultaneously gaining experience as a test driver for Cadillac F1. He will be the oldest, most experienced, and an already established name on the 2026 F2 grid.

However, Colton Herta isn't taking this new challenge for granted, even though it is in a junior category. The American driver has an optimistic outlook for his rookie F2 season, but realistic expectations.

"It's a new start, it's a fresh opportunity, it's something new to me, so it's exciting," Herta said. "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."

Colton Herta took part in his first test in an older-generation F2 car this week. Katayema, a Swiss track-day organizer, had organized a two-day test on November 2 and 3 (Sunday and Monday) at Monza, the home of the Italian GP. The IndyCar star piloted the No. 32 car for MM International Motorsport and went fastest among the 15 drivers (six in F2 cars and nine in F3 cars) testing in the wet conditions on day one.

Colton Herta reveals why he and Cadillac F1 chose Hitech Grand Prix as his F2 team

The No. 7 Hitech TGR of Luke Browning at the Formula 2 Championship - Round 9 Spa-Francorchamps - Source: Getty

Colton Herta's 2026 season in F2 is meant to be grounds for him to learn the behavior of the Pirelli tire compounds and the tracks F1 races on. However, simply racing with any team on the F2 grid wasn't enough for Herta and Cadillac F1's plans for the nine-time IndyCar race winner's future.

They were eyeing a competitive team that would prepare the American driver for the cut-throat world of F1. Hitech Grand Prix, a front-running team that is contending for the 2025 F2 title, with Luke Browning third in the standings with two races to go, fitted the bill.

"I think when we were looking at teams, myself and also with Cadillac, the biggest thing is it had to be results-driven," Colton Herta said. "I think Hitech checks those boxes as a professional outfit, and as you can see how this year is going and the past seasons, not only in F2 but also in Formula 3 and in F4. Basically, they seem to excel in everything. and there is a reason for that."

"After having some meetings here and getting to know people, the decision was made on its own. It was really simple to see that this is a professional organisation, and one that I feel will best prepare me to be ready for Formula 1," he added.

Colton Herta's first F2 race weekend in 2026 will be in Melbourne, Australia, from March 6 to 8.