F1 team confirm driver debut at Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix

Herta during track walk in Melbourne — Photo: © IMAGO

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F1 team confirm driver debut at Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix

Colton Herta stepped across from IndyCar to Formula 2 to make his F1 dream possible

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Friday 17 April 2026 19:28

Formula 2 driver and Cadillac test driver Colton Herta will take part in his first F1 session at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix in June.

The American driver is a nine-time winner in the IndyCar series, having raced with Andretti in recent years and finishing second in the 2024 championship.

For Herta, who is from Valencia, Santa Clarita, California, however, his dream remains to race in the pinnacle of motorsport that is F1, but lacks the required FIA super licence points to do so. A driver needs 40 to race in the sport and despite his extensive and successful IndyCar campaigns, Herta only sits on 35 super licence points.

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Although IndyCar is arguably a more competitive category, with F2 largely honing the talents of up-and-coming talent, the Formula 2 championship offers more super licence points.

Both the first, second and third finishers in F2 acquire that magic 40 needed for F1, while IndyCar only rewards the champion with 40 points, 30 for second and 20 for third. The third place finisher in IndyCar also earns the same allocation of points as the third place finisher in the Japanese Super Formula and Formula 3.

Therefore, to make his F1 dream a reality and at the fairly established age of 26, Herta has arguably taken a step down to race in F2 this season, having thus far achieved a seventh place result from the feature race in Melbourne with Hitech.

As Cadillac's test driver and an F1 rookie, however, Herta fulfils the requirements for the FP1 rookie sessions this season and will get his chance to impress in 2026.

Every FP1 session Herta will contest in 2026

Colton Herta will take part in four rookie sessions - where it is mandatory for each driver at an F1 team to give up their seat on two occasions, for a driver who has started no more than two grand prix races - which will see him jump into the Cadillac for FP1.

While the other three sessions haven't been revealed, the first of which will be Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix (formerly the Spanish Grand Prix, which is now the Madrid race in September) and takes place on Friday, June 12.

"I can’t wait to get behind the wheel of the Cadillac Formula 1 Team car for the first time," Herta said.

"I am looking forward to working closely with the team in a full Grand Prix environment and am fully focused on learning from every appearance. I hope I can contribute to the overall race weekend and help the team, Checo and Valtteri as much as possible."

Cadillac team principal Graeme Lowdon also added: "Colton is a top talent, which he has not only proved by building an impressive resume in the NTT IndyCar Series before joining us, but also with a strong start to his Formula 2 season.

"Completing all four of our young driver FP1 sessions is a natural next step in his test driver role, and I look forward to seeing what he can bring in terms of development and focus."

Is the FIA Super Licence system fair?

The FIA Super Licence points system has been called out as unfair by some, particularly since Herta's move to F2 was announced.

F1 pundit Will Buxton wrote on social media after the news dropped last year, that: "I’ve said it a thousand times. The F1 super licence system was an idiotic kneejerk reaction to the inexorable rise of a talent who turned out to be an all time great.

"If it is to remain, the allocation needs a drastic overhaul, particularly when it comes to IndyCar points."

F1 Cadillac Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya Colton Herta