Colton Herta has begun his new life in F2

Appointed as a Cadillac F1 test driver on September 3rd, Colton Herta will therefore combine this role with a full-time drive, in Formula 2After seven seasons in the top category of the car American, Herta is in a way taking a step down, deciding to orient her career towards the antechamber of the Formula 1. Reaching the pinnacle of motorsport is a fully stated objective for 2027, with Cadillac.

Like many of his peers who took part in the three days of Formula 2 testing in Abu Dhabi, Colton Herta wasn't particularly talkative. A few words at the end of his first morning behind the wheel of the Hitech TGR team's car set the tone and demonstrated the commitment and seriousness of the former driver.IndyCar, by far the most experienced driver in the field, despite his relative inexperience with European single-seater formulas.

“The main thing was to feel comfortable, and I’m still far from being completely comfortable in the car. It’s a good start; these three days are very important for us, it’s essential to make the most of everything we do here. It’s nice to be here, it’s nice to be in a car during the off-season, and I’m looking forward to the next two days.”

The youngest-ever IndyCar winner in 2019 at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin climbed the standings throughout the three days of racing in Abu Dhabi. Starting seventeenth on Wednesday, he finished sixteenth on Thursday and fourteenth on Friday. While lap times weren't Colton Herta's primary objective, the American driver gained valuable experience with pit stops, long stints, and qualifying runs, aiming to arrive as prepared as possible for Melbourne in early March.

While on paper Colton Herta's path to Formula 1 seems clear, he will still need to perform well in F2 next season if he wants to secure one of the two seats currently occupied by Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Pérez. Indeed, an eighth-place finish in the 2026 season is required of him in order to accumulate enough Super Licence points over the last three seasons. A task that might not be as simple as it seems!

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