By Alan Baldwin
MONZA, Italy (Reuters) -American nine-times IndyCar race winner Colton Herta will be a test driver for Cadillac when they debut in Formula One next season, the General Motors-backed team said on Wednesday.
Cadillac have already announced Finland's Valtteri Bottas and Mexican Sergio Perez, both experienced F1 drivers and multiple grand prix winners, as their 2026 lineup on multi-year contracts.
Herta, 25, has long harboured F1 ambitions but has lacked the requisite super-licence points
to compete in the championship.
The son of IndyCar/Champ Car driver Bryan Herta raced in junior series in Europe early in his career before returning to the United States in 2017.
"This is a dream opportunity, and one I’ve been working towards for a long time. To be part of Cadillac F1’s entry at such a pivotal time is something I couldn’t pass up," he said in a statement ahead of this weekend's Italian Grand Prix.
"My dream has always been to race in Formula One, and I see this move as a huge step towards that goal. For now, my focus is on giving everything I can to Cadillac F1, helping build a competitive team."
Team principal Graeme Lowdon said having an American driver in an American team was "a hugely significant moment... for American motorsport as a whole.
"Colton represents the passion, ambition, and competitive spirit that define the Cadillac Formula One Team, and we are proud to have him carry the American flag with us on the world stage," he said.
Cadillac, the sport's 11th team, said an announcement on Herta's racing programme would be made in due course.
Herta in 2019, aged 18, became the youngest driver to win an IndyCar series race as well as the youngest to start a race from pole position.
The Andretti Global driver has made 116 starts in the U.S.-based single-seater series and tested a McLaren Formula One car in Portugal in 2022.
He is currently five points short of the 40 needed for an F1 super-licence but with one point set to expire.
There has been speculation he could race in the Formula Two feeder series next season, which would be a way to gain licence points, although he has laughed that off.
Another way would be to take part in enough Friday F1 practice sessions at race weekends, with each one offering a point provided more than 100km is completed without penalties.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Toby Davis)
