AllRacing

F1 drivers back Herta ambitions over potential F2 switch

A number of Formula 1 drivers have backed Colton Herta to get to grips with racing in Europe quickly if he pairs his new Cadillac test driver role with a Formula 2 program.

Herta was announced as a Cadillac F1 test driver on Wednesday; the nine-time IndyCar winner leaving the series to take up the new position. The announcement noted his future racing program will be announced in due course, and with multiple F2 teams having been approached about potentially running him, the support category is his most likely destination.

Lando Norris raced alongside Herta for Carlin in MSA Formula in 2015 before the pair shared a seat in British F3 the following season, and believes the Californian will have no problem adapting to F1 machinery.

“It’s probably not difficult for him, because he’s good at jumping in all different types of cars and that’s something he’s done his whole life,” Norris said. “He’s an extremely talented driver and a guy I enjoyed a lot growing up with him in 2015.

“So let’s say, not difficult, because I think he’s skilled enough to jump in anything and be quick; but being one of the best in Formula 1 is what’s difficult, and if that’s still his goal, if his goal is still to not just come in as a test driver, but over the next few years to become a Formula 1 driver and a race driver, then, of course, it gets tricky.

“But he’s easily capable of potentially being in Formula 1, and I look forward to hopefully seeing him again.”

Norris also believes IndyCar should pay more Super License points to allow someone like Herta to make the switch more easily. F2 offers a higher number to the top 10 in its points and guarantees the top three a Super License.

“It’s not my decision,” he said. “I think he’s probably capable of driving a Formula 1 car and driving it at an incredibly high level. He’s probably better than most other drivers that are in the ranks and coming up in F3 and F2 and stuff. So I don’t think [he should need to race in F2], if I was the boss.

“I think there’s still a certain allowance of, you have to qualify in some way, I don’t think you can just be an old billy and just pay to get into Formula 1, but IndyCar I think is one of the toughest series in the world. I think it’s an incredibly tough car to drive – I’ve never driven it myself, but you can tell all of those things – and the level of all these drivers is incredibly high.

“I don’t know how many points they get in IndyCar, but I would put it above the level of Formula 2 in a way.”

Oliver Bearman raced in F2 for two years before stepping up to F1 this year, and while he says it was F1 testing that “by far and away” prepared him better for the category, he can see the benefits of Herta gaining experience in F2.

“That will be interesting for sure,” Bearman said. “I wish him the best of luck, it will be really cool to see… Of course the level is very high in IndyCar, but to see him come to Europe and see how he gets on is going to be really nice.

“It’s a tough one. I don’t know the specifics of how it works in IndyCar, but when you look at a qualifying or a race, it seems like they’re really going for it. So I hope he’s enjoyed that way of racing.

“Over here, it’s a bit different. Also, having grown up racing cars in Europe, you’re used to the fact that you do a single push lap and then you cool the tires down straight away. That’s just how it is, for better or for worse.

“So it’ll be interesting. For me, it was the step from Formula 4 to Formula 3, where you went from pushing maybe five or six laps in a row to then just pushing one lap. It’s tough to get all of the performance out of one lap, because you have less rhythm and less consecutive laps.

“So it’s tough. But he’s clearly a very good driver, so I’m sure he’ll get around it in no time.”

There was also support from Oscar Piastri, who won the F2 title before a year as Alpine reserve completing F1 tests prior to his McLaren move. The championship leader believes there is added value to racing on the F1 support card, adding that there are limitations to a test-only role.

“Both have different purposes in some ways,” Piastri said. “I think being on an F1 weekend, racing alongside F1, that’s an important thing. His situation is a little bit different because he’s obviously the Cadillac test driver already, so it’s not so much about getting yourself in front of the paddock and in front of eyeballs.

“I think definitely being on an F1 weekend feels quite different to the racing I did before I was on an F1 weekend, so I think that’s definitely important.

“The F1 testing, obviously getting up to speed in an F1 car is an important thing, but that testing has a limit to its uses. The tires are not representative. You’re often doing it in winter or at times when the tracks are not that rubbered in. There’s not other cars around, the car’s old…

“There’s a lot of limits to it, but certainly getting up to speed in an F1 car and just getting your brain used to all the different things you can change, all the things and the speed at which things happen – I’m sure he’ll be fine, coming from Indy! – but there’s definitely purposes to both.”