Herta has weight of IndyCar on his shoulders with F2 move - O'Ward

Pato O’Ward believes his former IndyCar rival Colton Herta would not be competing in Formula 2 in 2026 if a Formula 1 seat with Cadillac wasn’t on offer for the following season.

Herta has left the IndyCar series to take up a test driver role at Cadillac as the American team prepares to enter F1 next year, as part of a partnership between TWG Motorsports and General Motors. Alongside that position, Herta will race in F2 for Hitech as he seeks the required Super License points to race in F1 in future, and O’Ward believes the move only makes sense if an F1 seat is waiting for him.

“He's very talented,” O’Ward told RACER. “He's been a great competitor in IndyCar, and I wish him the best. I think I'd be shocked to not see him in a Formula 1 [seat] in 2027. I don't think he'd be doing this switch if that wasn't on the table for him.

“So I'm super excited for him, and I really want him to do well, because he's going to be our IndyCar representation. I think he doesn't just have himself on board. I think he's definitely got a lot of guys that are pushing for him to do well outside of just being in Formula 2 next year. We want him to make it to Formula 1, and we want him to do well.”

Herta’s move to F2 will also allow him to gain experience on many of the grand prix tracks and Pirelli tires, but O’Ward warns it will be a big change for the 25-year-old, having raced in F2 himself back in 2019.

“The task is tall. The tires are very different. The car is much worse than an Indy car, so he's definitely downgrading in terms of car capabilities and car feeling.

“Like I said, I'd be shocked to know that he's doing this just to do it. I definitely know... Well, I don't know, but I really hope this is the case, that he's doing it because he has a Formula 1 seat, because otherwise he will really miss IndyCar. I know he will.”

The first public appearance for Herta in F2 machinery is likely to come at the end of season test in Abu Dhabi, unless he is substituted in by another team for either the Qatar or Abu Dhabi rounds. Hitech is running Williams young driver Luke Browning and Ferrari academy member Dino Beganovic this season, with both in the top eight of the drivers’ championship and the team second in the teams’ standings.