As Cadillac’s highly anticipated entry into Formula 1 for the 2026 season draws nearer, questions surrounding the team’s potential driver lineup are taking center stage. Mario Andretti, the 1978 F1 World Champion and a newly appointed director on the GM racing program’s board, has revealed that 24-year-old Colton Herta has always been a top contender for one of the seats.
“From the beginning of this project, the team has always considered Colton Herta as one of the drivers,” Andretti told Motorsport.com. “There hasn’t been much recent discussion about it, mainly because we still have time, but he remains a priority. I’m sure this is the direction he wants to go. He trained there and raced alongside prominent drivers, like Lando Norris, who’s now a key figure at McLaren. Colton is from that era—young, talented, and ready to make the jump.”
As for the second seat, Andretti mentioned the team’s intention to pair Herta with a veteran driver, although there is no immediate rush to finalize the lineup.
Herta, who finished as the runner-up in the 2024 IndyCar Championship, has long been linked to an F1 seat but has struggled with the FIA’s Super License points requirement. To qualify for an F1 seat, a driver must accumulate 40 Super License points, based on performance over the past three seasons. While Herta currently has 32 points—30 from his second-place finish in 2024 and one each from the previous two years—he still needs to secure a higher finish in next year’s IndyCar Championship to meet the criteria. If Herta finishes fourth or better in the standings, he would qualify, or he could also gain the required points by participating in an F1 practice session, which offers one point for completing 100km, with a maximum of 10 points possible.
Andretti is optimistic about Herta’s chances, suggesting that gaining additional F1 seat time could help the young driver accumulate the necessary points. “I think we have opened all those options,” Andretti said. “We’re aware of the point system, and we believe it’s achievable, especially if he has some better luck in IndyCar. If he had won the championship this year, he would’ve been in a much stronger position, but I don’t see this as a major concern. I believe it’s close enough to be doable.”
With Cadillac’s entry into F1 on the horizon, Herta’s potential move to the grid is increasingly likely, and his relationship with McLaren could provide an avenue to secure the necessary practice sessions. As the clock ticks toward the 2026 season, Herta remains firmly in the frame to join Cadillac’s ambitious F1 program.
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