The world of Formula 1 always has an eye on the next generation of talents, and in recent times, few names have sparked as much debate and excitement as Colton Herta. The young American driver has had his sights set on the pinnacle of motorsport for several years now, and 2024 may finally be the year that reality catches up with ambition. After significant speculation, Herta’s pathway to Formula 1 has become clearer as he signs to compete in the FIA Formula 2 Championship with MP Motorsport while simultaneously taking on the distinguished role of Cadillac’s official F1 test driver. This dual commitment signals both a challenge and an opportunity in equal measure.
Herta, hailing from Santa Clarita, California, has a pedigree steeped in motorsport. As the son of former IndyCar driver Bryan Herta, it’s no surprise Colton excelled quickly in the American racing scene. His exploits in the IndyCar Series — where his aggressive style and bravery have earned him multiple wins — have not gone unnoticed by F1 teams. However, the notorious complexities of the FIA’s Super Licence points system, as well as the lack of an American F1 seat until recently, meant the doors to F1 remained closed. Now, as the Andretti-Cadillac partnership continues to push for a Formula 1 grid spot, Herta’s European racing gig becomes all the more significant.
MP Motorsport, a force to be reckoned with in the fiercely competitive Formula 2 landscape, is the team entrusted with refining Herta’s skills on the international stage. For Herta, racing in F2 isn’t just a box-ticking exercise — it's about adapting to the nuances of European circuits, the idiosyncrasies of Pirelli tyres, and the rigor of the F1 feeder series format. At the same time, stepping into Cadillac’s F1 test driver shoes offers him direct access to state-of-the-art F1 machinery and simulator work — a privilege very few aspiring drivers in the United States have enjoyed in recent years.
This fresh chapter in Herta’s career is unfolding at a transformative time for Formula 1. As the sport continues to embrace expansion in the United States — evidenced by new races in Miami and Las Vegas as well as the continued popularity of the Austin Grand Prix — the arrival of an American team with an American driver would be a story tailor-made for the Netflix era. The presence of a US-owned team like Andretti-Cadillac, pushing against the establishment to enter the elite circle, echoes with a sense of underdog determination. For fans craving not just another talented pilot, but a compelling narrative, Herta’s season in Formula 2 with MP Motorsport becomes a must-watch subplot.
For Herta, the 2024 Formula 2 campaign will be a true litmus test. Adapting from IndyCar’s technical freedoms and oval circuits to the precision of F2 — with its mandatory Pirelli strategy, sprint and feature races, and the unforgiving demand for consistency — could expose weaknesses or unlock a previously unseen level of performance. His clash against proven F2 talents, many with years invested in the European ladder, will show how quickly he can acclimatize and impress both critics and future employers. But perhaps more crucially, his role with Cadillac means every lap completed, every debrief, and every improvement in the simulator brings him closer to the real thing: a race seat in Formula 1.
Formula 1 is in need of fresh talent, especially from the United States, a market that’s proved to be bursting with potential but lacking a Grand Prix driver since Alexander Rossi. If Herta can fuse his raw speed with consistency, technical acuity, and the adaptability F2 demands, he could secure the most coveted passport in motorsport. Watching his growth in 2024 will be essential not just for fans of American racing, but for anyone interested in F1’s increasingly global future. As the drama unfolds on both the F2 paddock and the Formula 1 test benches, Colton Herta may soon go from being a distant hope to a headline act.
