When Cadillac announced their driver line up for 2026, some were surprised to not see any driver for IndyCar at the team. Cadillac, as the only other American team at F1 alongside Haas, aims to attract viewers from the United States, where the sport is not as followed, even if things are changing in the past few years thanks to the Netflix series Drive to Survive and the Brad Pitt movie this summer.
Instead, Cadillac opted for the seniority and pedigree of Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Pérez, both 35, with Checo Pérez saying that he was happy to represent "the team of the Americas". However, Cadillac also found a place for Colton Herta, the 25-year-old star of IndyCar, the most popular American driver (from Santa Clarita, California) at the American competition, winner of 9 IndyCar races.
Herta will join Cadillac as a test driver, meaning that he could make his Formula 1 debut next year if something were to happen to Pérez or Bottas. But Herta will also be active, as he hinted that he will also race for Formula 2 next year, with an undisclosed team.
"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", said Herta in a statement released by Cadillac.
"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", added Cadillac Team Principal Graeme Lowdon. If things go according to plan, it seems logical that Herta will eventually inherit one of the main driver places when Bottas and Pérez retire, but in the meantime he will gain more experience racing across the world in Formula 2, as he last took part in European racing in 2015/16, where he, alongside Lando Norris, took part in the 2015 MSA Formula Championship.