Herta to Drive Cadillac's 2026 F1 Rookie FP1 Sessions

Colton Herta, the 26-year-old American IndyCar veteran, will drive in all four of Cadillac's mandatory rookie Free Practice 1 sessions during the 2026 Formula 1 season, starting with the Spanish Grand Prix at the Barcelona-Catalunya circuit in June.

The announcement underscores Cadillac's structured approach to developing Herta as its test driver, alongside race drivers Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas. Herta, who has nine wins in the NTT IndyCar Series and finished second in the 2024 championship, switched to the FIA Formula 2 Championship this year to build credentials for an F1 super licence. After the season-opening round in Australia, he sits seventh in the F2 standings, just five points shy of the 40-point threshold required for super licence eligibility. A top-eight finish in F2 would secure the necessary points, positioning him for a potential race seat.

Cadillac's plan ensures Herta gains essential mileage in an F1 car while fulfilling the team's regulatory obligation to run young drivers in two FP1 sessions per car. Each session offers Herta up to one additional super licence point if he completes at least 100 kilometers, providing a safeguard against any shortfall...