How fans reacted to Colton Herta quitting IndyCar for F2 seat

Hot off the heels of being announced as the first Cadillac F1 test driver, Colton Herta took another major step on his quest to join the Formula 1 grid.

Herta established himself as one of the brightest talents on the IndyCar scene, winning nine races. But, he is to bid farewell to the series, as come 2026, he will compete in Formula 2, as he looks to generate the points required to bag his FIA Super Licence.

Fans react to huge Colton Herta F2 move

A driver needs to amass 40 points to achieve their FIA Super Licence, which permits them to race in Formula 1. Herta has not been able to hit that tally via his IndyCar exploits, but Formula 2 will offer greater opportunities. A top eight finish in the 2026 championship will get him there.

Even if he misses that mark, Cadillac F1 may still be able to get the 25-year-old American there with FP1 sessions, as 100km of practice running is worth one point, with a maximum of 10 sessions permitted.

Still, this is a huge shift in career direction for Herta, who is going all-in to realise his F1 dreams. We dived into the comments section to see what you, our readers, made of the huge move, and the reactions are intriguing.

For Rob B, while he respects Herta taking the plunge, he does not hold high hopes for his F1 prospects.

“I think his odds of succeeding in F1 are slim, including if he does actually get an F1 seat at Cadillac eventually, but I admire his commitment and the chasing of his dreams. He’s 25 so he has time on his hands.”

Rafael Santos believes Herta is in a situation where anything other than being crowned 2026 F2 Champion would spell trouble.

“If he doesn’t win F2 title against young drivers it will be ugly. He has the obligation to destroy competition.”

Indeed, Kumba says: “It seems to be a make it or break it for Herta.”

Cadillac F1 CEO Dan Towriss has noted that transitioning from IndyCar to F2 will not be an easy adaptation for Herta. Vanillasludge S also picked up on this aspect.

“This is going to be interesting. In theory he should do really well based on his level of maturity and skills shown. That said, Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Larson showed how hard it can be to switch up when you’re older.”

Another question mark facing Herta is even if he secures his FIA Super Licence via F2, will there be space at Cadillac F1?

The team has opted for experience by signing Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez. On top of experience, these are two wildly talented drivers, with a combined 16 grand prix wins between them, 10 for Bottas and six for Perez.

Will either driver realistically drop the ball to an extent that Cadillac F1 view Herta as the better option?

With Perez understood to have signed a multi-year Cadillac deal to return to F1, Ste W raises this point.

“I’m curious as to the timeline here. Say Herta gets the necessary points in ‘26 through F2 and FP1 sessions, then what? Surely neither Bottas nor Checo would have accepted less than a full 2-year contract? Is Herta willing to wait till ‘27 for the Cadillac drive or is he hoping another seat opens up somewhere else on the grid?”

If Cadillac were to look for an alternate place on the grid for Herta, it is not a guarantee that they will find one.

While Gabriel Bortoleto serves as an example of a team picking up an unaffiliated rookie – a decision which is rewarding Sauber handsomely – many teams have their own collection of junior drivers to turn to if they want a rookie in their line-up.

“As a 9-time IndyCar winner if he doesn’t win the F2 championship why would anyone give him an F1 ride? All the top F2 teams have affiliations with F1 teams so it will be interesting to see where he gets a ride,” writes bob valente.

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Formula 2 is a spec series, meaning each driver competes in identical Dallara-built cars. Then it is over to the teams and drivers to make the difference.

But, seats with greater appeal still exist, and have the better title odds attached to them.

Leonardo Fornaroli, and his Invicta Racing team, currently lead the F2 drivers’ and teams’ championships. Last year it was Bortoleto who took the title with Invicta, with the teams’ crown also secured.

“The question is, which F2 team is he going to?” Neil ponders.

“I’ve read rumours that it is either Rodin or Prema. Rodin are at the sharp end this year with Alex Dunne, so that might be a good bet.”

Il Dottore responds: “Could be, Prema already has an Andretti backed driver in F4, and of course they’ll know each other from the IndyCar paddock.”

That F4 driver in question is 16-year-old Sebastian Wheldon, who is chasing a runner-up finish in the Italian F4 Championship. He is the son of two-time Indy500 winner and 2005 IndyCar champion Dan Wheldon, who was tragically killed in a multi-car collision at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2011.

Herta will look to blaze a trail for the likes of Sebastian Wheldon, demonstrating a pathway into Formula 1 for American talent.

Interestingly, Xmotor Motovation believes that F1 machinery would be more familiar to Herta, in terms of his driving style, than the F2 machine will be.

“I’m looking forward to be following him in his F2 adventure next season. He’ll be older than most but won’t be the oldest either.

“The cars should seem light, under powered, and with low downforce. It’ll probably be more of a momentum style racing that rewards a smooth driving style. That is in contrast to his current car that can reward being tossed around.

“It’ll certainly be an adjustment from his IndyCar experience. F1 is probably more like his IndyCar than an F2 car so this will be a test of his adaptability.

“I think he should have made this move after he was turned down for the Red Bull drive because he didn’t have enough points. I don’t think the time and experience since has improved him or his situation other than to convince him that F1 is something he really wants. And that determination is essential for him to succeed because this is not going to be an easy journey.”

As mentioned above, Herta was previously linked with a seat at Red Bull’s second F1 team for 2023, but a lack of Super Licence points stopped that. Previously, Herta had been in the frame for a Sauber drive when Michael Andretti unsuccessfully attempted a takeover.

DearLider is not convinced that Herta is the American F1 star which Formula 1 needs.

“I applaud the commitment. If he thinks he has it, he will shine in F2. He doesn’t have to win the championship l, but he has to shine and win at least a couple of races.

“I am rooting for an American to do well in F1. However, I am unconvinced Hertha is the one. He impressed initially in Indy but has been underwhelming for a while now. But again, betting on himself like that, I respect that.”

One thing is for sure, Herta’s F2 presence will draw more eyes to the series than ever before in 2026.

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