F1: Cadillac Formula 1 Team Signs Colton Herta as Reserve Driver

Cadillac has taken another significant step towards its long-awaited Formula 1 debut in 2026, confirming Colton Herta as the team’s official test driver. The 25-year-old Californian will play a key role in developing Cadillac’s first-ever F1 car, working closely with Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez. Herta’s achievements in IndyCar already speak volumes: nine career victories, 16 pole positions and over 1,000 laps led from 116 starts. He finished the 2024 season seventh overall, but this new role shows his aspirations now extend well beyond domestic success, as he prepares to represent Cadillac on the global motorsport stage.

Cadillac has yet to confirm Herta’s racing schedule for 2026, although many within the paddock believe a stint in Formula 2 is the most likely next step. Competing in Europe would both fine-tune Herta’s skills and enable him to accumulate the mileage required for an FIA Super Licence, crucial if he hopes to secure a future place on the Formula One grid.

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Colton Herta said: 'I’m incredibly excited to be joining the Cadillac Formula 1 Team as a Test Driver. This is a dream opportunity, and one I’ve been working towards for a long time. To be part of Cadillac F1’s entry at such a pivotal time is something I couldn’t pass up. My dream has always been to race in Formula 1, and I see this move as a huge step towards that goal. For now, my focus is on giving everything I can to Cadillac F1, helping build a competitive team.'

Graeme Lowdon, Team Principal, Cadillac Formula 1 Team, said: 'We are delighted to welcome Colton Herta as a Test Driver,” said Graeme Lowdon, Team Principal, Cadillac Formula 1 Team. “Colton is an exceptionally talented racer with proven speed, race craft, and maturity well beyond his years. His experience in top-level American motorsport as part of the TWG Motorsport family makes him an ideal fit for this role, and he will bring valuable and fresh insight, perspective, and energy to our team as we continue to build for the future.'

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This is not Herta’s first brush with F1 machinery. Back in 2022, he tested McLaren’s MCL35M at Portimao, an experience that gave him a valuable taste of the sport’s intensity. Away from single-seaters, he has also proved himself in endurance racing, with victories at the Rolex 24 at Daytona in 2019 and 2022, and an outright win at the 12 Hours of Sebring in 2024.