Montoya questions whether switch to F1 is ”smart” for Herta

Now that Cadillac is on observe to enter System 1 in 2026, it’s time for the brand new crew to begin pondering severely about who its drivers might be.

Ever since Michael Andretti began the venture to convey a brand new crew to F1, which has since developed into the Cadillac entry backed by Common Motors and Dan Towriss’ TWG Group, Colton Herta‘s identify has been talked about time and time once more.

In a recent interview with Motorsport.com, Mario Andretti, who stays related to the Cadillac venture as a board director, insisted that Herta was the main candidate to drive one of many new crew’s vehicles.

Juan Pablo Montoya, who loved a profitable profession in each F1 and IndyCar, understands why Herta is enticing to Cadillac.

“There’s an opportunity he might do it, 100%”, Montoya instructed Motorsport.com through Oddspedia when requested in regards to the possibilities of Herta racing in F1 with the Cadillac crew.

“I feel they must do an excellent job making ready him. I feel it might want a number of work doing checks and every part, like all people does with the previous vehicles, to do sufficient miles to organize him for the 12 months forward, however I truthfully do imagine that they might do it, and I feel that is their hope”.

The 2-time Indy500 winner then hinted at a state of affairs that has not but been publicly mentioned, specifically that Herta might be a part of Cadillac as a reserve reasonably than as a race driver.

“I do not know if they’ll put him in to begin, or if they are going to put him in in a 12 months or two. Possibly they might begin with somebody completely different, and put him in as a reserve driver, after which put him in, or they might go together with him from the start, I do not know what they’re pondering, however I imagine Herta can be one of many logical selections for them as a result of he is from the identical group”, he mentioned.

Nonetheless, Montoya has warned simply how a lot Herta can be risking by leaving his present spot in one in every of IndyCar’s prime groups in Andretti World for a very new F1 crew.

“It will be a very nice story if Colton was there, however he is already rather well established in America, I do not understand how sensible it might be to return in [to F1] on the place he is at in America. To alter every part and danger every part for F1. He’d be coming into a state of affairs that is not simple, the place they do not know [at Cadillac] how aggressive they are going to be, how briskly they are going to be. He is in the most effective groups in America, the place he has an opportunity to win races each week, and would abruptly change to be within the backside 5 each week to say he’s in F1. It isn’t simple.”

Colton Herta, Andretti World

Picture by: Penske Leisure

Montoya identified that the nice fame Herta enjoys within the US right now might change if he fails in F1.

“The issue is that if he leaves, they are going to substitute him with somebody,” mentioned the previous Williams and McLaren driver. “If that particular person does rather well and Colton would not do nicely in System 1, there will not be a spot for him.

“There is a danger, they usually’ll most likely say, ‘Sure, the seat is at all times yours’, but when somebody is available in and is doing a greater job than he was doing, then abruptly the seat is not a lot his. Issues in motorsport change in a short time.”