Andretti: Cadillac F1 program has been eyeing Herta since the beginning

The long-awaited acceptance of Cadillac entering the pinnacle of motorsport as the 11th team on the F1 grid for 2026 has launched extra questions, together with what potential driver lineup might seem like. Mario Andretti, the 1978 F1 Champion who was recently named a director on the board for the GM racing program, was fast to verify that the 24-year-old Colton Herta, recent off ending runner-up for the 2024 IndyCar title, because the clear frontrunner.

“From the start of this undertaking, the workforce at all times seemed on the prospect of Colton Herta to be one of many drivers,” Andretti informed Motorsport.com.

“So far as I do know, that is one thing we had not mentioned these days as a result of there’s time, that also stays a precedence. I am positive that is the route he wish to go. He educated there. He raced alongside the likes of, simply to say one, Lando Norris, who is clearly very outstanding now with McLaren. And so, he’s from that period, if you’ll, nonetheless, younger and vibrant and able to go.”

And the plan, so far, is to place a veteran alongside Herta within the second seat, although, there’s little rush to lock anybody down. 

Herta’s identify has been flirted with F1 seats previously, however FIA Tremendous License factors have been a hindrance to reaching that subsequent step. An allotment of 40 factors is required, however the FIA additionally takes under consideration coming in both the three-year interval previous the 12 months of software or the two-year interval previous the 12 months of software along with the factors collected within the 12 months of software. 

Based mostly on that, Herta presently sits at 32 factors whole during the last three seasons: 30 for ending second within the 2024 championship, together with one level every of the earlier two years after ending tenth on each events. That leaves the California native needing to complete fourth or higher in subsequent 12 months’s championship, or fifth or higher and operating an F1 apply session — which awards some extent following the completion of 100km, with a most of 10 factors obtainable for consideration.

Contemplating that Herta has earlier run in a TPC (testing earlier automotive) with McLaren at Portimão in 2022, forming a relationship with a workforce to get him seat time in an F1 free apply outing isn’t out of the query.

“Yeah, I feel all these choices are open, fairly truthfully,” Andretti stated. “There is a approach of discovering that. I feel the purpose system clearly, we want to concentrate on what the calls for are, however I feel that is achievable even with him, clearly, having some higher luck in IndyCar. I am positive if he’d have received the championship this 12 months, he would’ve been dwelling free in that respect. However, I do not assume that is a factor of actual concern. Actually, I feel that it is shut sufficient that it is doable.”