Pato O'Ward comments on Colton Herta possibly having a guaranteed 2027 seat with Cadillac F1

IndyCar star Pato O'Ward has commented on Colton Herta possibly having a guaranteed F1 seat with Cadillac F1 in 2027. Herta will join the American team in 2026 as a test driver and simultaneously compete for Hitech Grand Prix in Formula 2, taking a voluntary step down from IndyCar.

O'Ward highlighted how he hopes that his IndyCar rival should be promised an F1 seat in 2027. Otherwise, leaving the position of being the highest-paid driver in the premier American open-wheel racing series would make no sense for him.

O'Ward, who is also McLaren's F1 reserve driver, described the uphill battle that awaits the former Andretti Global driver in F2 next year, saying (via RACER):

"The task is tall. The tires are very different. The car is much worse than an Indy car, so he's definitely downgrading in terms of car capabilities and car feeling. Like I said, I'd be shocked to know that he's doing this just to do it. I definitely know... well, I don't know, but I really hope this is the case, that he's doing it because he has a Formula 1 seat, because otherwise he will really miss IndyCar. I know he will.”

Colton Herta is IndyCar's youngest race winner, and for a driver of his caliber to make an unheard-of move to F2, a feeder series to F1, created ripples a couple of months ago when the announcement was made. However, the 25-year-old is committed to proving his worth. TWG Motorsports CEO Dan Towriss, who manages both Andretti Global and Cadillac F1, has emphasized that Herta would need to 'earn' an F1 seat, and that it wasn't a given.

Herta took part in his first test in an older-generation F2 car on Sunday, November 2. The test was organized by Katayema, a Swiss track day organizer. The nine-time IndyCar race winner emerged quickest of all on day one of the two-day test at Monza, over four-tenths quicker in wet conditions.

Pato O'Ward claims all of IndyCar wants Colton Herta to "do well" in F1

Pato O'Ward (extreme left) and Colton Herta (extreme right) at the IndyCar Series Bommarito Automotive Group 500 - Source: Getty

Colton Herta has been dreaming of racing in F1 since his childhood, and that is what motivated him to move from America to Europe as a teenager. However, he returned to his homeland after his year in Formula 3 and joined Indy NXT, the F2 equivalent in the IndyCar ladder.

F1 remained his ultimate dream, but the FIA's Super Licence points system prevented him from joining the series twice - with AlphaTauri in 2023 and Cadillac F1 in 2026. Now that Colton Herta is invested heavily in taking a full and possibly his final shot at F1, Pato O'Ward has words of encouragement for him.

"He's very talented," O’Ward told RACER. "He's been a great competitor in IndyCar, and I wish him the best. I think I'd be shocked to not see him in a Formula 1 [seat] in 2027. I don't think he'd be doing this switch if that wasn't on the table for him. So I'm super excited for him, and I really want him to do well, because he's going to be our IndyCar representation."

"I think he doesn't just have himself on board. I think he's definitely got a lot of guys that are pushing for him to do well outside of just being in Formula 2 next year. We want him to make it to Formula 1, and we want him to do well," the Arrow McLaren driver added.

Colton Herta finished in an unexpectedly low seventh place in the 2025 IndyCar standings. If he'd finished fifth or higher, he would've gained the required Super Licence points to race for Cadillac F1 in 2026.