Colton Herta still believes he can reach Formula 1 within the next two years, and the Colton F1 target for 2028 remains realistic despite a difficult Formula 2 campaign, he insists. The American, tied to Cadillac’s driver programme, says his focus “is still on getting to F1” and that he rates his chances highly over the coming seasons.
He made the point this week while reflecting on a season that has brought little reward on the F2 grid, even as his simulator and testing work for Cadillac has gone the other way entirely.
Colton Herta Reaffirms Formula 1 Target for 2028
“My focus is still on getting to F1, and I still think I have a chance of that in these next two years. But I don’t know exactly, I have to sit back and see what the plan is for Cadillac for me,” Herta said. It is a measured statement rather than a guarantee, but it confirms where his priorities sit.
Herta has not hidden his frustration with F2 this year. He has, at the same time, kept building his case with Cadillac away from race weekends, through simulator sessions and dedicated F1 test running.
Cadillac Testing Highlights F1 Pace Alongside F2 Struggles
Herta has spent more time with Cadillac’s Formula 1 side lately. “I’ve been doing a lot more with the F1 team now as far as sim stuff. I just did a TPC [Testing of Previous Cars] day on Monday, which was very strong. On the F1 sim and the TPC stuff, the pace has been really strong, but for whatever reason, it’s just not translating to F2,” he said.
That gap is stark. Herta sits 19th in the Formula 2 standings with 26 points, his best result a fifth place in the Barcelona sprint race. He struggles to explain the drop-off. “Nothing in particular, it’s just been the whole thing. Unfortunately, there hasn’t been a whole bunch of positives at any point. For whatever reason, there’s been zero pace, and nothing has really changed,” he admitted.
Analyzing Herta’s Development Path and Cadillac Expectations
The mismatch between his F2 form and his F1 testing pace has puzzled Herta as much as anyone watching. “It’s unclear why we can’t put a weekend together from start to finish and it be completely strong. I think it’s just a head-scratcher to be qualified three seconds off here. It just makes zero sense to me,” he said.
Cadillac F1 CEO Dan Towriss had earlier set a clear marker for Herta’s season, saying he expected the American to finish in the top 10 of the F2 championship. Sitting 19th, Herta is well short of that mark, though his TPC outing builds on pace he showed in our earlier Cadillac testing coverage.
Cadillac’s junior scheme has always weighed more than championship position; simulator feedback and direct F1 running matter too. Herta’s TPC day fits that pattern, giving the team fresh data even as his F2 points tally lags behind Towriss’s target.
Next Steps in Colton Herta’s Formula 1 Timeline
With F2 rounds still to complete, Herta’s path into Formula 1 will keep resting on TPC outings and simulator work rather than his championship position alone. The broader driver market has been shifting fast this year, as our recent driver market developments coverage sets out, and that adds pressure on hopefuls like Herta to make the most of every test he gets.
For now, the Colton F1 target stands on the strength of testing data rather than F2 results. Herta’s comments were first reported in a Motorsport.com interview with Colton Herta, with the account echoed in an Autosport report on Herta’s F1 timeline.
