Former IndyCar driver Colton Herta is reportedly set to join the Formula 2 series in preparation for a full-time Formula 1 seat.
Herta was announced as Cadillac F1’s reserve and test driver recently, leaving his seat at Andretti in IndyCar.
In the move, Herta is staying within the TWG Motorsports family, as the conglomerate operates the Andretti IndyCar team and Cadillac’s Formula 1 venture.
The 25-year-old American was linked with a move to Cadillac before the team announced its driver lineup of Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas.
Both drivers are in the latter stages of their careers, and Herta could potentially replace either in a year or two, depending on how his F2 journey goes.
He decided to leave IndyCar to qualify for a Super License. F2 provides more points and should make getting it much easier than staying in IndyCar.
The lack of points offered by IndyCar has been scrutinized by fans of the American racing series, arguing that it should be easier for successful drivers to achieve qualification.
TWG Motorsports and Cadillac Formula 1 Team CEO Dan Towriss, in an interview with RACER, addressed the controversy around Herta’s need to join a feeder series before getting into F1.
“I think this is also a nod to showing respect to European open-wheel racing,” Towriss said.
“I think we’ve seen a lot of times someone says, ‘Oh, well, you’re the IndyCar champion and now you’re going to move over to Formula 1.’ And it’s like that entitlement approach hasn’t worked in the past. Everything has to be earned and each series is different.
“So I think the fact that Colton is viewing it the way that he is and showing that respect coming in, I think that’s the right way for an American driver to come in, certainly for us on the Cadillac Formula 1 side.”
Ultimately, more preparation for Herta cannot hurt, especially since the track record for American drivers moving over to F1 is not stellar.
Ensuring he is accustomed to driving high-level machinery at these tracks will help him start strong in F1, whenever he eventually makes the move.
“It certainly seems like an obvious path from that standpoint, in terms of just the knowledge that’s needed to feel the cars, knowing the tires and the tracks,” Towriss added.
“I guess at what point they come over, whether they need to come over right after karting or at a later stage.
“Historically we’ve had this problem that if drivers from the U.S. leave too early they obviously have learned the series, but then kind of the U.S. fans don’t know who they are.
“So how do you position that where the U.S. fans know who they are? They’ve created a body of work in the U.S. and now have this opportunity to race in Formula 1. So we have that opportunity with Colton, with what he’s going to do, but that’s unique and not easy to come by.”
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