IndyCar Driver 'Tired' Of Cadillac F1 Rumors - 'I've Had The Carrot In Front Of Me For A While'

Colton Herta is frustrated with the persistent Formula 1 rumors.

Sep 15, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Crew members for Andretti Autosport with Curb-Agajanian driver Colton Herta (26) of United States change tires during the Big Machine Music City Gran Prix at Nashville Superspeedway. Mandatory Credit: Butch Dill-Imagn Images / Butch Dill-Imagn Images

The rumors around American IndyCar driver Colton Herta's potential move to Formula 1 has been a constant topic among motorsport fans for a couple of years now.

The speculation has only increased with the Cadillac F1 team's agreement in principle to join the grid in 2026. Speaking to the media about the ongoing reports, Herta explained:

“I’ve kind of been dragged around in this talk for, it feels like, half a decade now.

“I’ve had the carrot in front of me for a while. I’m kind of tired of that being the case, and I just want to drive at this point and focus on IndyCar this year and focus on winning a championship, and if something arises out of that, I’d have to think about it.”

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Despite the noise, Herta has been clear about where his focus truly lies. He is dedicated to his current role in IndyCar with the Andretti team and is striving to claim the championship.

Mario Andretti, who is on the board of directors for the Cadillac F1 team, sees great potential in Herta for a seat with the new F1 team. The 1978 F1 champion lauded Herta's career start in Formula 3 and subsequent F1 testing experiences. Andretti commented to Motorsport.com:

“Looking back at the way Colton has trained from the very beginning of his young career — as you know, he started in Formula 3 and so on with the likes of Lando Norris, and he’s done some F1 testing.

“Zak Brown gave him a good test at Portimao in Portugal. You should see the report that we got from Andrea Stella. And Andrea is an individual that says it like it is — so again, he’s a great candidate. 

“And all of this has to be proven, of course, but going in, he’s a good bet, in my opinion.”

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Andretti added:

“Some mistakes were made last year that cost him a championship, and unfortunately that happens.

“Sometimes you put too much pressure on yourself and then you make that mistake. 

“But when you look at the ingredients that were there, you had the ingredients of a champion. But for just one of those instances, he could have been champion. 

“So, when you look back and assess all those things, you’ve got to feel pretty good.”

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