Colton Herta gears up for his first Formula 1 practice session with Cadillac at the Barcelona Grand Prix, focusing on proving his value to the team. With F2 commitments also on the horizon, Herta has made F1 his priority this season.
Colton Herta is about to take a significant step in his racing career as he prepares for his first Formula 1 race weekend with Cadillac at the Barcelona Grand Prix. The American driver is keen to demonstrate his potential, aware that this opportunity comes with considerable expectations. Herta, currently competing in F2 with Hitech, will be stepping into an F1 car during the opening practice session, marking a pivotal moment in his motorsport journey. His ambition to join the F1 grid is no secret, and he knows he needs to show not just speed but also his value to the team.
"You want to be fast in any car you drive, and this isn't going to be any different, so it's going to be taken very seriously on my part," Herta said. "But I think the biggest goal is they need to see value in me doing it. The team needs to see value, and they need to come out of it positively. It can't all just be about me and how fast I want to go."
Herta's preparations for the FP1 session have involved simulator work with Cadillac, although his last stint was before the team’s winter testing. He admits it was mostly guesswork back then, but feedback from his more seasoned teammates, Checo Perez and Valtteri Bottas, suggests the simulations were accurate regarding the car's mechanics. Now, with more data and experience, Herta is eager to dive back into the simulator to refine his understanding and performance.
Despite his F1 commitments, Herta had hoped to make a one-off appearance at the Indy 500 this year. However, with F2 races scheduled in Miami and Montreal, he had to abandon that idea. "I had visions of being able to do that but I kind of always knew it wasn't going to be achievable," he admitted. "But F2 and Cadillac are the clear priorities for me this year."
Barcelona holds a special familiarity for Herta, having raced there during his junior days and more recently during F2 pre-season testing. This recent experience, he believes, will be invaluable as he prepares for the FP1 session. "It's a track that we're all super familiar with," Herta noted. "It's going to help having that experience and the knowledge of, hey, this is where this bump is, or maybe this is a curb that you can take or can't take."
Looking ahead, Herta is particularly excited at the prospect of driving on home soil, with the Circuit of The Americas looming on the calendar. However, he acknowledges that any future FP1 appearances will depend on the team’s strategy and his performance. "It’s mostly going to be at the discretion of the team," he said. "Personally it would be pretty awesome for me, but if they tell me, you're going to drive the car here, here and here, I'm still going to be just as excited about it."
Herta’s journey with Cadillac is just beginning, and as he prepares to showcase his skills in Barcelona, he remains focused on making the most of every opportunity that comes his way.