Colton Herta, the 2024 IndyCar runner-up, has been confirmed as the test driver for the Cadillac F1 team ahead of its planned debut in the Formula 1 World Championship in 2026. As the American driver transitions from IndyCar to Formula 1, 2025 championship leader Oscar Piastri cautioned Herta about the limitations inherent in F1 testing roles and how they may not accurately reflect a driver‘s true performance.
Following Cadillac’s official approval by Formula One Management and the FIA, Herta’s potential involvement as a test driver surfaced early, though speculation about his immediate future in F1 subsided toward the latter part of the 2025 season amid rumors linking him with a seat in Formula 2. Eventually, Andretti Global confirmed that Herta would not compete in IndyCar the following year and would instead take on a dual role with Cadillac F1 as a test driver and a racing driver in F2, according to TWG Motorsports CEO Dan Towriss.
Oscar Piastri, the 2021 Formula 2 champion and McLaren race driver, offered a detailed perspective on the challenges that Colton Herta might face adapting to Formula 1’s testing environment. Piastri emphasized that while testing helps a driver acclimate to the F1 car’s complex systems and pace, it has significant limitations that prevent it from being a reliable measure of actual race potential.
“Getting up to speed in an F1 car (with testing) is an important thing, too, though that testing has a limit to its uses. The tires are not representative. You’re often doing it in winter at times when the tracks are not rubbered in, and there’s no other cars around and the car’s old,” said Oscar Piastri (via Racer)
“There’s certainly a lot of limits to it, but certainly getting up to speed in an F1 car and just getting your brain used to all the different things you can change and the speed at which things happen,” added the McLaren driver.
The current Formula 1 testing regulations permit teams to run cars that are at least two years old for free testing sessions. Given that major technical rule changes will be introduced for the 2026 season, Herta’s opportunities to drive the upcoming generation F1 car will be limited to Free Practice 1 sessions during race weekends, while most testing time will be spent in 2024 or older machinery.
Oscar Piastri Explains the Transition Challenges From IndyCar to Formula 1
Even though both IndyCar and Formula 1 are single-seater, open-wheel categories, they differ vastly in terms of operations, media presence, and weekend schedules. Piastri highlighted that adapting to these new surroundings is a critical part of Herta’s development in Formula 1.
“Being on an F1 weekend and racing alongside F1 (in F2), that’s an important thing. (Herta’s) situation is a little bit different, because he’s obviously the Cadillac test driver already, so it’s not so much about getting yourself in front of the paddock, but I think definitely being around an F1 weekend feels quite different (on the racing side) compared to what I did before I was at an F1 weekend. So that’s definitely important.”
In addition to his test driver role, Herta’s performance in Formula 2 is essential for his career progression. To secure a superlicence, which is mandatory to race in Formula 1, Herta must finish the F2 championship in eighth place or higher. This places added pressure on his rookie F2 season as he balances testing duties with competitive racing.
The significance of Herta’s move lies in establishing a smooth path for American drivers into Formula 1 through Cadillac’s program. His adaptation and results, both in testing and on the track, will influence how the team approaches driver development in the future. Moreover, his journey highlights the challenges faced by drivers crossing over from IndyCar to Formula 1, where technical complexity and operational intensity are markedly higher.
