With F1 in his sights, Herta reflects on the "easy" decision to miss the Indy 500

It was an open secret that was definitively revealed when the F2 announced two race meetings in May, in Miami and Montreal. Colton Herta, who left theIndyCar At the end of last year, to try his luck in Europe by joining F2 with Hitech, he was indeed supposed to participate in the Indianapolis 500 in a fourth car from the Andretti team, which will ultimately not be entered, as the Californian is in Canada on the day of the Indy 500.

Speaking to Racer.com, the youngest winner in IndyCar history reflected on a decision that ultimately proved quite easy to make. In a race to finish in the top eight of the championship and thus secure his Super Licence, Herta cannot afford to miss a single meeting, and therefore two races that could prove crucial.

“Obviously, for me it was quite easy, because F2 is my priority this year, and that’s what I need to focus on most, even though the Indy 500 is also very important to me. My impressions are a bit mixed, but overall, I’m looking forward to it. These are two new circuits for me, two circuits I’ve seen on television and that look really nice, places where it must be a real pleasure to drive.”

With the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix unable to be held in April, F2 had to find an alternative for two races that are important for the drivers, who finance their season based on a specific number of races. While Herta is understandably disappointed not to be able to participate in the Indy 500, he applauds F2's efforts to maintain the same number of races on the calendar, as he continues to chase a place in Formula 1.

“So I’m very excited about it. Obviously, I’m a little disappointed not to be able to compete in the 500 this time, but that’s what’s currently taking center stage in my career. We knew such a situation was possible, even if we hadn’t considered it from this angle. But I’m looking forward to competing in these new rounds, and I’m happy that F2 and Bruno Michel were able to find solutions to replace the two missing rounds.”

The 26-year-old Californian also expressed his surprise that he would finally be able to race single-seaters in the United States and Canada this year! These will indeed be the first F2 races in its current format held in North America. The championship had already explored Oceania in 2023, organizing races for the first time as support for the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.

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