Nine IndyCar wins, 19th in Formula 2
Colton Herta has closed one option off. Asked about his plans for 2027, the American told F1 Insider that he has “no interest in another year of Formula 2”. Everything else, he said, will have to wait.
The numbers behind that answer are unforgiving. Herta arrived in the junior category this season with Hitech, carrying nine IndyCar race wins and a reputation built on the other side of the Atlantic. With three rounds left he sits 19th in the drivers’ standings. A handful of points finishes came early in the campaign. Since then he has scored once in 13 races.
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The Cadillac equation
The move to Europe had a clear purpose. Herta also works as a development driver for the new Cadillac team, and the American outfit has been open about wanting an American driver in one of its cars before long. Herta was the obvious internal candidate. His season in Formula 2 was supposed to be the argument that moved him up the queue.
Instead it has become the obstacle. A driver sitting 19th in a junior championship is not building the case for promotion, and the campaign took another hit at Madrid, where a qualifying crash ruled him out of both races that weekend. Talk of a return to the United States for 2027 has grown steadily since.
Still a fan of the category that beat him
What stands out in his remarks is the absence of bitterness. Herta said he will keep watching Formula 2 long after he leaves it.
“I’ll definitely watch it; I’ll always enjoy following Formula 2 as a racing series,” he said. “I think I’ve watched Formula 2 races for the past ten years or so, and I’ll continue to do so. I really like the racing style and the races themselves.”
He went further on the drivers he has spent the year alongside. “I have great respect for the drivers who compete here because I know what they’re capable of. I already knew that, but now I know it even more from my own experience and I’m aware of the level at which everyone is operating.”
He also said he wants to see next year’s car, its downforce figures and how well it races. A curious answer from someone who has just ruled out driving it.
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