Colton Herta on Wednesday was named the test driver for the new Cadillac Formula 1 team — a move that gives the program its first American driver and takes Herta from IndyCar into the global series.

The move had been speculated for the last two weeks but both Herta and team co-owner Dan Towriss refused to address the talks. The F1 program originally began as a project for Michael Andretti to help build a true American team around California-born Herta, but Herta lacks the super license he needs to be eligible to compete in F1.

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The team instead last week announced series veterans Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez as its drivers for its 2026 launch, but will now work toward Herta becoming intergrated in the team, serving as its test driver and working toward earning his super license.

He will not compete in IndyCar in 2026, and the racing plans for next season for the 25-year-old will be announced at a later date. Cadillac is believed to be working on landing him a full-time ride in F2, the Formula 1 feeder series.

“I’m incredibly excited to be joining the Cadillac Formula 1 Team as a test driver,” Herta said. “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.

“My dream has always been to race in Formula 1, 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.”

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This will mark a return to European racing for the second-generation racer — his father is former IndyCar driver Bryan Herta. He made his European racing debut in 2015 and over a two-year period secured four victories, six podium finishes and five pole positions in the Euroformula Open Championship.

Herta went on to compete in six British F3 events and earned three podium finishes and a victory at Brands Hatch.

He returned to the United States in 2017 and a career in IndyCar, where he has spent seven seasons while collecting nine wins and 16 pole positions. He became the youngest driver to win an IndyCar Series race in 2019 at Circuit of the Americas, when he was just shy of his 19th birthday.

Herta has scored multiple IMSA Weathertech Sportscar Championship class wins at the Rolex 24 at Daytona and the overall win at the 12 Hours of Sebring in 2024.

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He is now the first test driver named by Cadillac.

“We are delighted to welcome Colton Herta as a Test Driver. Colton is an exceptionally talented racer with proven speed, race craft, and maturity well beyond his years,” said Cadillac team principal Graeme Lowdon. “His experience in top-level American motorsport as part of the TWG Motorsport family makes him an ideal fit for this role, and he will bring valuable and fresh insight, perspective, and energy to our team as we continue to build for the future.

“Having an American driver join an American Formula 1 team is a hugely significant moment, not only for our Team, but for American motorsport as a whole. Colton represents the passion, ambition, and competitive spirit that define the Cadillac Formula 1 Team, and we are proud to have him carry the American flag with us on the world stage.”

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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing