Colton Herta confirms he was close to joining F1 and AlphaTauri: "I had a contract with them."

“My goal in coming here and participating in the F2 is to prepare myself as best as possible to become a pilot of Formula 1"With Cadillac in my sights. Having this opportunity to achieve this and reach this dream, this goal of becoming a Formula 1 driver, represents an incredible chance for me."

Invited to the F1 podcast Beyond the Grid, Colton Herta opened up about his ambitions, observations, and the course of his career. The American driver, long considered a viable option for a direct entry into the team, ultimately had to turn to Formula 2. With no Super Licence points to accumulate, experience to gain, and somewhat disappointing results in 2025, the stars weren't aligned for the Californian.

However, the driver, who built his career on the American continent, certainly has the most likely opportunity here. In 2023, the siren call of Formula 1 had already beckoned him, but it hadn't been strong enough. "I really appreciated Dr. Helmut Marko's frankness," he saysSometimes it hurts as a pilot. You don't want to hear certain things, but sometimes you need to hear them. The positive point is that he was very direct about this possibility of joining Alpha Tauri "In F1. There was a real possibility, I had a contract with them, but I couldn't sign it because I didn't have a Super Licence."

A persistent block for Colton Herta?

Having come close to achieving his goal in 2023, Colton Herta must reach his first objective this year: earning his Super Licence points. Currently holding 35 points, and having participated in four Free Practice 1 sessions with Cadillac, he needs just one more point (each FP1 session allows him to gain one point if he completes more than 100 km). A top-10 finish in the F2 championship would then be enough to exceed the required 40 points.

At the time, however, time was short for a pilot whose decision needed to be made quickly. “They were really optimistic at one point, they thought it could happen, but we had reached a point where we couldn’t wait any longer.” he elaboratesI had to sign a new contract in IndyCarMichael and Dan were very kind to take me back, so I signed with them, which turned out to be the right thing to do because I hadn't been allowed to join Formula 1 and I wouldn't have had a seat in either Formula 1 or IndyCar, and I don't know what I would have done afterwards.

"I was very grateful at the time to be able to access the simulator." Red Bull, he concluded on this subject. Being able to talk to Dr. Marko about the possibility of joining Formula 1. Many people took the time to guide and help me.

Far from starting in car European driver Colton Herta managed to finish seventh in the feature race of the first round of the F2 season in Melbourne. Despite a red flag start to the weekend, the American driver recovered well, and will be making his debut in the Americas with races in Miami and Montreal.

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