By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief
Colton Herta has been announced as a test driver for Cadillac’s Formula 1 outfit for the 2026 season.
The 25-year-old California native is fresh off his seventh season in the NTT IndyCar Series, where he finished seventh in the championship standings courtesy of two podiums, eight top 10s and two poles. He has nine wins, 16 poles and 1,171 laps led over his 116 starts in North America’s premier open-wheel championship, with a career-best runner-up result for the title in 2024.
Herta has also scored multiple IMSA Weathertech Sportscar Championship class wins at the Rolex 24 at Daytona (2019 and 2022) and an overall win at the 12 Hours of Sebring in 2024.
“I’m incredibly excited to be joining the Cadillac Formula 1 Team as a Test Driver. This is a dream opportunity, and one I’ve been working towards for a long time,” said Herta. “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.”
This will mark a return to Europe, as the second-generation racer – son of former Indy car driver Bryan Herta – made his European racing debut in 2015. Over a two-year period, he secured four victories, six podium finishes and five pole positions in the Euroformula Open Championship and went on to compete in six British F3 events, earning three podium finishes including a victory at Brands Hatch before returning to America in 2017.
Herta becomes the first test driver named by Cadillac, following the announcement of its first race driver line-up last month with Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez. Announcements on Herta’s 2026 racing program will be made in due course.
“We are delighted to welcome Colton Herta as a Test Driver. Colton is an exceptionally talented racer with proven speed, race craft, and maturity well beyond his years,” said Graeme Lowdon, Team Principal for Cadillac F1 Team. “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.
“Having an American driver join an American Formula 1 team is a hugely significant moment, not only for our Team, but for American motorsport as a whole. Colton represents the passion, ambition, and competitive spirit that define the Cadillac Formula 1 Team, and we are proud to have him carry the American flag with us on the world stage.”
