Colton Herta is Still Chasing His F1 Dream

Colton Herta is Still Chasing His F1 Dream

After the United States Grand Prix, rumors have started to swirl that Cadillac’s Valtteri Bottas will be out of a seat for 2027. Though he signed a multi-year contract, the pressure is on for Bottas to perform if he still wants a future in Formula one. If Bottas is out for 2027, who will replace him?

An American Driver for an American Team

It’s no secret that Cadillac wants an American driver for their American team. F1 hasn’t seen an American driver since Logan Sargeant raced for Williams back in 2023. Sargent was dropped midway through the 2024 season, replaced by Argentinian driver Franco Colapinto. 

Cadillac hasn’t been shy about wanting American driver Colton Herta in one of their seats. Herta has been part og the TWG (Cadillac owner) family since his IndyCar days when he raced for Andretti. Herta was able to find success in IndyCar, where he raced for seven seasons. He even made IndyCar history, becoming the youngest race winner in 2019 after winning his first race at 18 years old. Despite coming runner-up in the championship standings in 2024, he was still unable to obtain enough Superlicense points to officially be able to race in F1. So Herta took the risk, leaving IndyCar to race in F2.  

This isn’t Herta’s first rodeo. Back in 2022, Herta was linked to an AlphaTauri (now known as VCARB). The issue: Herta did not have enough Super Licence points to be able to race in F1. This didn’t stop redbull from trying. redbull tried getting a special exception for Herta to be able to obtain his Super Licence from the FIA. The FIA denied the request, and Herta stayed in IndyCar.  

Herta’s rookie season in F2 has truly been one to forget. He hasn’t been able to translate the success he had in IndyCar to the European circuit. He faced major scrutiny after his lack of performance in Monza back in September. Herta has also made it clear that he will not be racing in F2 next season. So where does that leave Herta for 2027? He could go back to IndyCar, but it seems unlikely, as there is no room for him over in Andretti. There aren’t many seats up for grabs in IndyCar.. Though he has shared interest in racing in the Indy 500 again, a full-time seat in IndyCar seems highly unlikely. 

Day by day, Herta’s F1 dreams are slowly becoming a reality. Herta currently has 39 points. He needs one more point to acquire a super licence. Herta will be back in a F1 car this weekend in Mexico for Free Practice one, where he is expected to earn his last super licence point. Well, if Bottas continues to underperform, Herta is Cadillac’s ideal candidate to replace him. Will Bottas be able to turn his season around? Or will there finally be an American driver back on the F1 grid?