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Colton Herta commits to Formula 2 switch to clear path for Formula 1 drive
IndyCar race winner Colton Herta will join the Formula 2 grid alongside a Cadillac test role as the American driver targets the remaining superlicence points required for Formula 1.
By Michael de Vries - 2025-09-04T16:20:43.000Z - 2 min read
American open-wheel frontrunner Colton Herta will make a surprising transition to the FIA Formula 2 Championship, combining a junior feeder campaign with testing duties for the incoming Cadillac Formula 1 operation. The move represents a rare reverse step for an established front-running professional seeking to break onto the Grand Prix grid.
At the centre of the programme lies the pursuit of an FIA superlicence. While Herta has accumulated extensive experience at the highest level of American motorsport, he remains short of the required qualification threshold. Stepping into Formula 2 provides a direct route to accumulate the remaining points alongside scheduled free practice outings with Cadillac.
Herta established himself as IndyCar's youngest race winner after entering the series full-time in 2019. Across subsequent seasons, the American secured nine race victories and a career-best second place in the championship standings, repeatedly keeping his name linked with Formula 1 ambitions before committing to the European ladder.
Beyond the mathematical licence requirements, the feeder series commitment offers practical track preparation. Competing on Grand Prix support bills allows Herta to familiarise himself with tyre management, race weekend procedures and European circuits absent from the American calendar, while his test driver role provides seat time in Cadillac machinery.
The European environment will not be completely unfamiliar territory. Herta previously contested junior categories overseas, taking third in the 2015 MSA Championship during Lando Norris's title-winning season. Subsequent outings in 2016 yielded third place in Euroformula Open, second in the Spanish Formula 3 championship and a race win during selected starts in British Formula 3.
Stepping back into junior machinery carries distinct competitive risks for an experienced race winner. Following Logan Sargeant's difficult spell as the last American to start a Grand Prix, Herta faces significant attention as an established talent attempting to prove his capabilities in machinery typically reserved for emerging prospects.
Navigating the Formula 2 calendar alongside manufacturer testing duties will test how rapidly Herta adjusts to the intermediate machinery and paddock environment. For Cadillac, securing their test driver a competitive race programme provides the clearest pathway to assemble the necessary licence credentials ahead of a potential Formula 1 promotion.