Colton Herta set to join Hitech GP F2 team in 2026 with Cadillac F1's announcement imminent: Report

Colton Herta is reportedly set to join the Hitech Grand Prix team for the 2026 Formula 2 season. This move is a part of the IndyCar star's first step towards realizing his F1 dream with Cadillac F1.

The American driver harbored a childhood F1 dream, but failed to get there twice because of a lack of points to earn an FIA Super Licence. In 2023, he could've driven for AlphaTauri, and in 2026, he could've been one of Cadillac F1's full-time drivers.

In the former instance, the FIA didn't grant him an exemption for a Super Licence. As for the latter, Colton Herta could've earned the required 40 points for a Super Licence if he finished in the Top 5 in the 2025 IndyCar standings. Though he couldn't do it, he got closer than ever, taking his tally to 34 points.

Colton Herta at the NTT INDYCAR Series Snap-On Milwaukee Mile 250 - Source: Getty

As a result, TWG Motorsports transferred him from Andretti Global to Cadillac F1 as a test driver for 2026 so that the accompanying duties, like FP1 appearances, earn him the required points, and simultaneously, he would've to race in F2 to learn the tracks F1 races on and get a feel of the Pirelli tires.

Motorsport journalist Joe Saward has now shared that Herta will join the Hitech Grand Prix F2 team in 2026. On his blog, the Green Notebook, Saward wrote:

"The Formula 2 line-up for 2026 is almost as clogged up as F1 with two seats at Trident available (which no-one is very keen to get as the team has not done well in the formula of late). The last available seat appears to be at Hitech, but this will go to Cadillac’s Colton Herta, which will probably be announced soon as F1 will be in the US in the weeks ahead, with various big deals expected to be announced, including the Apple TV deal."

Cadillac F1, which is negotiating the deal on Herta's behalf, as his father Bryan Herta confirmed a week ago, could announce the deal at the upcoming US Grand Prix - the home ground for both Herta and the team - from October 17 to 19.

Colton Herta's father shares an emotional message after he leaves IndyCar for Cadillac F1

Colton Herta with his dad Bryan Herta at the St. Petersburg Premiere of HBO sports documentary "The Lionheart" - Source: Getty

Colton Herta and his father, Bryan Herta, a former IndyCar driver, had the privilege of working at the same team, Andretti Global, in IndyCar. Bryan served as the race strategist for his son in the youngster's initial years with the team before the Michael Andretti-led team moved Bryan to serve as Kyle Kirkwood's race strategist.

In a recent appearance on the Racers Unchained podcast on YouTube hosted by Paul Tracy, Bryan Herta reflected on their bond and explained how he'll miss working with his 25-year-old son after the Cadillac F1 move.

"I feel so lucky getting to have worked with Colton in IndyCar, even when I wasn't on his radio, right?" the 55-year-old said (48:05 onwards). "We're all in the same engineering trailer. I got to spend so much time with him these last few years that... dads will get that, right? like your adult children, you don't get that time with them anymore. But because we work together, I was with him a lot, and a lot of times he'd be like, "Hey, you know, dad, do you want to go grab us some dinner and stuff?" And I cherish all that time with him." "I have an adult daughter... I don't have that kind of a thing with her where I've been able to spend as much time. I'm lucky, but I'm also proud and looking forward to kind of just cheering for him, being, just being a parent there, race dad, and watching what he does with this opportunity," Bryan Herta added.

Colton Herta is IndyCar's youngest race winner and an eight-time race winner in the series. An IndyCar return could be on the cards in the distant future should the F1 move not work out.

Edited by Yash Kotak