Former IndyCar driver Colton Herta is set to make his Formula 2 debut in Australia this weekend, marking a major shift in his racing career. After concluding his promising IndyCar journey at the end of the 2025 season, Herta pursues his dream of joining Formula 1, with a Cadillac F1 seat expected in 2027. This unexpected path leaves the 25-year-old American still coming to terms with how quickly his career trajectory has changed.
Herta’s new direction became clearer in early 2025, when Dan Towriss, CEO of TWG Motorsports—which manages both Andretti Global and Cadillac F1—introduced the concept of the American driver stepping down briefly into Formula 2. This move is designed to help him gain essential experience before advancing to F1. Herta conveyed his feelings in an interview ahead of his debut with the Hitech TGR team during the Australian GP weekend:
“I think it’s still kind of surreal to me. Like, six months ago, if you said, ‘Oh, welcome to F2,’ I’d be like, ‘What are you on about?’ (laughs) No, it’s cool. Looking forward to working with everybody, getting to know the style of racing, styles of cars, and hopefully best position and prepare myself to step into Formula 1 next year.”
The Shift from IndyCar to Formula 2 and Its Strategic Importance
When Cadillac revealed its 2026 driver lineup last year, it locked in Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez with multi-year contracts. Despite that firm commitment, Herta’s reassignment from a leading IndyCar role with Andretti Global to Formula 2 signals that the Cadillac F1 team has concrete plans for him in 2027. The strategy behind sending Herta through Formula 2 is to build a solid foundation in open-wheel European racing before making the ultimate transition to Formula 1.
Family Support and Adjusting to New Racing Challenges
In the days leading to his F2 debut, Colton Herta shared a video documenting his preparation, including simulator sessions that highlight how different Formula 2 machinery is compared to IndyCar vehicles. One major adjustment comes from adapting to Pirelli tires, which contrast with the Firestone tires used in North American open-wheel racing.
Addressing the challenge and his mindset, Herta said:
“The most important thing is that I’m leaving it all out there, you know? I’m not leaving anything up for debate. You know, because it’s such a big leap from North American open-wheel racing, it’s a very different system. In my mind, it was also a challenge and also the end goal of getting to Formula 1 with Cadillac. And yeah, so we’re fighting for it. That’s what we are doing here.”
Though Bryan Herta, Colton’s father and former IndyCar driver turned Andretti Global race strategist, won’t be in Melbourne to watch his son’s debut due to his own racing commitments in Phoenix, Arizona, he shared his support via social media:
“I’ll be in Phoenix for @IndyCar @AndrettiIndy but my ❤️ is in Melbourne, go get em pal,”
Expectations and Goals for the Rookie F2 Season
Despite understanding the difficulty of winning in his first Formula 2 race, Colton Herta has set his sights on aiming for the championship title. His ambitions are balanced by realistic expectations, as TWG Motorsports CEO Dan Towriss expressed contentment with seeing the 25-year-old finish anywhere within the Top 10 in the standings during his rookie season.
Herta’s transition from IndyCar to F2 in Australia not only marks a critical milestone but also reinforces the calculated plan that could lead him to a Formula 1 seat with Cadillac. How well he adapts and performs this season will shape the next chapters in his career, potentially accelerating him toward the pinnacle of motorsport.
