Colton Herta could give Cadillac a tough decision on its future Formula 1 drivers if he impresses in Formula 2 and earns a super license next year, team boss Graeme Lowdon admits.
Cadillac has signed Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas as experienced drivers for the inaugural season in 2026, with Herta making the move from IndyCar to F2 as he searches for the required super license points to race in F1. Should the Californian secure a license, he will be eligible for one of the Cadillac racing seats, and Lowdon admits that is an issue he would like to have when it comes to the team’s 2027 lineup.
“Every team wants to make tough decisions,” Lowdon said. “I really respect Colton’s approach to what he does. For me, this is what a real driver wants to do. He knows how difficult Formula 2 is. There is a lot of talent coming through Formula 2, you just have to look at the current grid to see that, and he knows that too.”
“So I really respect that approach. To me, that’s the approach of a real driver. We want him to be successful and we want him to learn all these things.”
“This is the ideal scenario [to be knocking on the door] and it is not a threat to Checo and Valtteri, apart from all the other threats in Formula 1. You want to see talent coming through Formula 2 – significantly better if it is all within our family of drivers. Then it’s a better kind of problem to have.
“But to be clear: there is no automatic arrangement. It is not about obtaining the license points, automatically driving for a team. That is not the case. We have said before that we select the drivers based on merit. And it will always remain that way.”
“I’m really looking forward to seeing Colton race. It’s a huge opportunity to get to know the tires and the track. He clearly knows how to race. So I’m curious to see how he goes.”
Cadillac completed a test of a previous car outing (TPC) at Imola last week, using a 2023 Ferrari with Sergio Perez behind the wheel. Lowdon says it is unlikely Herta would get the same opportunities next year, but says FP1 outings are planned for the 25-year-old.
“We haven’t explored it yet. When a new team comes in, certain areas of the regulations are emphasized that are a little more restrictive for us than for anyone else,” he noted. “testing a previous car – well, we don’t have a previous car, so we can’t test this one!
“Of course there are the FP1 opportunities, and as a team we have to allocate some of those to a rookie driver. Colton is clearly a great candidate for that, that’s for sure. But yeah, we just have to navigate through it.”
“The way the TPC test was conducted this year, we wouldn’t have been able to do this unless Ferrari had effectively donated two of their TPC days to us. What’s great is that Ferrari has done that. They are a great partner to have. Having worked with them in the past, I know a lot of the people there very well. They are great people to work with.”
“It’s great teamwork when you see something like that, but we can’t necessarily rely on that. I don’t know exactly in what detail the testing program will take place, but certainly of FP1s.”
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