Colton Herta joins Cadillac F1 team as test driver for 2026 debut
Colton Herta Named Test Driver for Cadillac Formula 1 Team
Colton Herta has been named test driver for the new Cadillac Formula 1 team as it gears up for its 2026 debut in F1. The announcement comes one week after Cadillac confirmed Sergio Pérez and Valtteri Bottas as its race lineup for the inaugural campaign, solidifying the Cadillac F1 lineup for 2026.
Herta, 25, arrives with nine IndyCar victories and longstanding ties to Cadillac through his Andretti IndyCar program, which sits under the TWG Motorsports umbrella. The American driver’s move strengthens the connection between IndyCar and Formula 1, positioning an American talent within a new F1 team structure.
"I'm incredibly excited to be joining the Cadillac Formula 1 Team as a test driver," the nine-time IndyCar race winner said. "This is a dream opportunity, and one I've been working towards for a long time. To be part of Cadillac F1's entry at such a pivotal time is something I couldn't pass up. My dream has always been to race in Formula 1, and I see this move as a huge step towards that goal. For now, my focus is on giving everything I can to Cadillac F1, helping build a competitive team."
Herta has hovered on the edges of F1 before, serving as a McLaren development driver in 2022 and drawing interest from Red Bull’s junior team AlphaTauri in 2023. His path to an F1 seat has been constrained by the FIA super license requirement; after finishing seventh in this year’s IndyCar championship, he remains five points short of the 40 needed to qualify under the FIA super license points system.
As recently as last weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix, Racer reported Herta was in discussions with Formula 2 teams about a 2026 drive, a series that offers a higher super license points yield and runs alongside F1 at multiple events. Participating in F1 practice sessions could also add to his tally, with each appearance worth one point, though Cadillac’s announcement did not outline any specific track-time plans for next season. For an American driver targeting Formula 1, the F2 pathway and F1 practice sessions remain key routes to meeting FIA super license requirements.
"We are delighted to welcome Colton Herta as a test driver," Cadillac team principal Graeme Lowdon said. "Colton is an exceptionally talented racer with proven speed, race craft, and maturity well beyond his years. His experience in top-level American motorsport as part of the TWG Motorsport family makes him an ideal fit for this role, and he will bring valuable and fresh insight, perspective, and energy to our team as we continue to build for the future."
Cadillac is set to become Formula 1’s 11th team in 2026. It will initially run Ferrari power units with a UK-built chassis, while long-term plans call for relocating the F1 operation to a new facility in Fishers, Indiana, and developing in-house power units by 2029—underscoring Cadillac’s long-term commitment to a US-based F1 operation.
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