Formula 2 boss makes telling Colton Herta admission after 2026 struggles

Cadillac F1 test driver Colton Herta has had a “more difficult” time in Formula 2 than series CEO Bruno Michel had expected.

Michel suggested that Herta and F2 perhaps “underestimated” the challenge of changing working environment after his arrival from IndyCar. The American’s 2027 plans and future with Cadillac are yet to be clarified, with Michel hoping for a strong end to F2 2026 for the series’ big-name driver.

Colton Herta ‘deserves’ strong end to F2 2026

Having signed with Formula 1 newcomers Cadillac as a test driver, Herta, chasing his dream of a place on the F1 grid, left his IndyCar career behind and signed with Hitech for the 2026 Formula 2 season.

It has proven a challenging campaign for the California native. He sits 19th in the championship, without a podium result.

Herta has also partaken in multiple FP1 sessions with Cadillac across the year, with one more planned for a final total of four.

How 2027 looks for the 26-year-old is unclear, as he will fall short of the points needed for an FIA Super Licence.

He is also well below the target of a top 10 F2 championship finish, set by Cadillac F1 CEO Dan Towriss.

Herta is not ruling out a second F2 campaign, but has made it clear this is not his priority.

Asked by PlanetF1.com for his thoughts on Herta’s struggles with the F2 transition, CEO Bruno Michel said: “It has been more difficult than what I thought it was going to be because Colton is a very strong driver. There’s no doubt about that.

“He and we maybe underestimated the difference of working environment that we have, compared to IndyCar teams.

“But I don’t think it has to be settled as an example, and I really hope that he’s going to finish the season on a high. We’re still hoping for that.

“He had some good races as well. He had more difficulties in quali, and maybe also that’s one of the limits that we were having, because you need to, in 30 minutes, come up with the right time immediately.

“You have one lap, maybe two flying laps on a set of tyres, in which you have very limited track time.

“That’s also the way we prepare drivers for Formula 1 because in Formula 1, you have limited track time as well. So probably he struggled for that and he suffered from that a bit more than what he expected.

“Now, I really hope sincerely that he’s going to finish the season on a high. He deserves it.”

More on Colton Herta from PlanetF1.com

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Herta is not the only driver to have landed in F2 from outside the traditional junior path in recent years. His Hitech teammate Ritomo Miyata joined the series in 2024 after a successful GT and endurance racing career.

Nicolas Varrone also arrived from the endurance world to hit the F2 grid in 2026.

“I think it’s important to have drivers from different routes,” Michel stated.

“The logical path is now what is called the FIA pyramid, which is Formula 4, Formula Regional, Formula 3, Formula 2. You can skip one part of it. For instance, Kimi [Antonelli] didn’t do Formula 3 and went from Formula Regional directly to Formula 2. It happens sometimes.

“But generally speaking, it’s a very positive thing, I would say, to have people coming from outside.

“I took Colton’s approach as a very interesting one because Colton is a very successful driver in Indy, he won races. He was very close in the championship.

“For him coming into Formula 2 was a big step, a big, different step. I think it was very positive for him to do that.

“It’s difficult because he’s coming from a very different environment, and it doesn’t help. But on the other end, I think it’s very important if they want to come to Formula 1 at the end.”

Two rounds remain of the F2 2026 campaign, as the series prepares to follow Formula 1 to a Middle East finale.

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