Herta to Make F1 Practice Debut with Cadillac in 2026

American driver Colton Herta will take part in four practice sessions as Cadillac's test and development role expands.

Apr. 17, 2026 at 10:22pm

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A fractured, cubist-style painting depicting Colton Herta's Formula 2 race car in a series of sharp, overlapping geometric planes, using vibrant colors to capture the dynamic energy of motorsports.Herta's move to Formula 1 with Cadillac marks a pivotal moment in the young American driver's career as he gains invaluable experience in Grand Prix racing.Today in Miami

Colton Herta, the former IndyCar driver, will make his Formula 1 practice debut in 2026 with the new Cadillac team. Herta, who left IndyCar after the 2025 season to take on a test and development role with Cadillac, will fulfill the requirement for teams to run a rookie driver in four practice sessions throughout the year. His first outing will be at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix in mid-June, with regular drivers Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas sitting out two sessions each to allow Herta to gain experience.

Why it matters

Herta's move to Cadillac's F1 program represents a significant step in the American driver's career, as he looks to transition from IndyCar to the pinnacle of motorsport. The four practice sessions will provide valuable track time and development experience as Cadillac builds its new F1 team from the ground up.

The details

Herta will make his F1 practice debut at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix in mid-June, with his remaining three sessions yet to be determined by Cadillac. The team confirmed that regular drivers Perez and Bottas will sit out two sessions each to allow Herta to gain experience. Herta will have to quickly switch between the F1 car and his Formula 2 car, as the F1 practice session is scheduled between the F2 practice and qualifying sessions.

  • Herta's first F1 practice session will be at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix in mid-June 2026.
  • Herta will return to Formula 2 action next month with new events in Miami and Montreal.

The players

Colton Herta

A former IndyCar driver who has taken on a test and development role with the new Cadillac Formula 1 team, and will make his F1 practice debut in 2026.

Sergio Perez

A regular driver for the Cadillac F1 team, who will sit out two practice sessions to allow Herta to gain experience.

Valtteri Bottas

A regular driver for the Cadillac F1 team, who will sit out two practice sessions to allow Herta to gain experience.

Graeme Lowdon

The Cadillac F1 team principal, who stated that Herta's four practice sessions are a natural next step in his test driver role.

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What they’re saying

“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.”

— Colton Herta

“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.”

— Graeme Lowdon, Cadillac Team Principal

What’s next

The locations of Herta's three FP1 sessions beyond Barcelona have not yet been determined by Cadillac.

The takeaway

Herta's move to Cadillac's F1 program represents a significant step in his career, as he looks to transition from IndyCar to the pinnacle of motorsport. The four practice sessions will provide valuable track time and development experience as Cadillac builds its new F1 team.