Cadillac has already confirmed Colton Herta for several F1 Free Practice sessions

Having joined the European Formula 2 team in the hope of joining the Cadillac F1 Team in the future, Colton Herta will participate in several F1 Free Test sessions this season with the American team.

Published 17/04/2026 à 16:29

Mathieu Chambenoit

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Cadillac has already confirmed Colton Herta for several F1 Free Practice sessions

© Cadillac F1 Team

Barcelona-Catalunya, first stage. This Friday afternoon, Cadillac announced that Colton Herta, test driver for the American team, was preparing to experience his first laps behind the wheel of a Formula 1Expected to be present on the sidelines of the Barcelona Grand Prix for Free Practice 1, the Californian will also be present at the wheel of one of the Charlotte firm's single-seaters on three other occasions this year, although the dates have not yet been announced.

"I can't wait to get behind the wheel of the Cadillac F1 for the first time.", said Colton Herta, test pilot for the transatlantic team. “I’m looking forward to working closely with the team in a Grand Prix setting and I’m fully focused on learning from every session. I hope I can contribute to a successful race weekend and help the team, Checo, and Valtteri as much as possible.”

Colton Herta gets his first chance in F1

The team with the most difficulties on the grid in terms of pure performance – if the particular case ofAston Martin While this is out of the question, extensive development, analysis, and testing work appears invaluable for a new team like Cadillac. That said, the operation is primarily aimed at boosting the confidence of their national driver from the perspective of the American team. “Colton is a highly talented driver, as evidenced by his impressive record in NTT.” IndyCar Series before joining us, and his excellent start to the season in Formula 2, argues Graeme Lowdon. Participating in the four Free Practice 1 sessions reserved for young drivers is a logical next step in his role as a test driver, and I look forward to seeing his progress and focus.

Struggling at the start of the weekend in Melbourne – notably causing one of the first red flags of the season – the American made further mistakes in the Sprint before finding his form in the Main Race, and entering the top 10 in his first weekend of competition. "Colton truly deserved this opportunity."said Dan Towriss, CEO of Cadillac Formula 1 Team Holdings. "These sessions offer him a valuable opportunity to integrate into the team, develop his skills both on and off the track, and experience the atmosphere of a Grand Prix weekend."

While neither Valtteri BottasGiven their vast experience, neither Sergio Pérez nor any other driver in the Formula 1 paddock will be around forever. It seems Cadillac is eager to prepare for the future and give the most highly regarded driver in its program every opportunity. The near future, however, will allow us to assess Colton Herta's actual capabilities behind the wheel of an F1 car that is struggling for performance at the start of this season.

ALSO READ > Colton Herta will not compete in the 2026 Indy 500

Mathieu Chambenoit

Responsible for the single-seater categories (F2, F3, FRECA, Eurocup-3, F4...), I enjoy discussing F1, Endurance, or MotoGP.

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