Colton Herta Refuses to Give Up on Formula 1 Dream, Sets Sights on 2028 Seat

Pulse Sports Team 19:16 - 28 September 2026

Colton Herta is enduring an exceptionally tough rookie campaign in Formula 2, but despite disappointing results, the American remains firmly focused on his ultimate goal: securing a Formula 1 debut by 2028.

Herta's transition from IndyCar to the top tier of European junior single-seaters was described by the driver himself as a bold move in pursuit of his F1 dream. However, the American admits that adapting to the series has proven even more difficult than anticipated.

"It would be foolish of me to sit here and think I'd immediately have the pace to win right from the first race. I might have more experience age-wise, but when it comes to pure speed, these guys are as fast as anyone," Herta explained.

The Cadillac-backed driver knew his maiden Formula 2 season would be a baptism of fire, especially after bypassing Formula 3 and being forced to quickly adapt to Pirelli's tyre characteristics. Nevertheless, the sheer scale of his struggles has surprised many.

The Hitech driver currently sits down in 19th in the standings with a modest tally of just 26 points. His standout result so far is a fifth-place finish in the Barcelona sprint race, secured after starting third on the reverse grid.

Speaking to motorsport.com, Herta admitted he remains baffled by his lack of pace:

"There's no single reason; it's just the entire picture. Unfortunately, we haven't had any genuinely positive stints at any point. For whatever reason, we have zero race pace and nothing seems to change. I can't understand why we can't put together one complete, strong race weekend. Being three seconds off in qualifying is a real head-scratcher. It makes no sense to me."

The American noted that his early running offered no hint of such a downturn. During pre-season testing in Barcelona, he posted the 11th fastest time, finishing just 0.574 seconds off pacesetter Rafael Camara, the 2025 Formula 3 champion.

However, Herta's deficit widened dramatically as the season progressed. Over the opening five rounds, his average qualifying gap stood at 0.848 seconds (averaging 14th on the grid), but dropped to an average of 18th place with a 1.088-second margin across the subsequent eight races. The crisis reached its peak in Baku, where he fell 2.484 seconds off the pace in Q1 and 3.091 seconds behind in Q2. On-track incidents only compounded his troubles, including three crashes across race weekends at Monza and Madrid.

"It's frustrating, but all we can do is keep pushing. It's still uncertain whether this will be the final round given the tensions in the Middle East and the uncertainty surrounding Qatar and Abu Dhabi, but we're preparing as if we have two races left and I'll try to make the most of them," the driver added.

The campaign's trajectory has cast doubt over the initial targets set by Cadillac F1 chief Dan Towriss, who had hoped for a top-10 championship finish. Although Cadillac viewed Herta as a genuine contender for a Formula 1 race seat should he impress, the driver revealed he has yet to receive concrete feedback from management regarding his performances in the feeder series.

Herta is currently in talks over his plans for 2027 and has not entirely ruled out a second season in Formula 2, though it is not his preferred route. He stressed that his pace in the Formula 1 simulator and during recent Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) runs has been strong, making his lack of performance in F2 all the more puzzling.

"It all comes down to what next year looks like. My main target is still to get into Formula 1, and I believe I still have a window over the next two years. I need to see what Cadillac's plans are for me — whether that's a reserve role or a testing programme. Once I have clarity, I'll decide my future, including whether returning to IndyCar is an option," the American concluded.

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