Colton Herta has ruled out the possibility of attempting to compete in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Formula 2 round in Montreal on the same day, even though the temptation was great despite the logistics…
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The Californian driver, test driver for Cadillac’s Formula 1 program and currently in his first F2 season, had been mentioned as a possible participant in this year’s Indy 500 with Andretti Global, the team with which he raced in IndyCar for six seasons (2020-2025).
Although this option existed before the 2026 season, the F2 calendar was disrupted by the conflict in the Middle East, before the series was reorganized with the addition of F1 support rounds in Miami and Montreal.
Squaring the Circle
Even though Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve and Indianapolis Motor Speedway are relatively close in terms of travel (less than 800 km, about an hour’s flight), Herta chose to prioritize Formula 2 and closed the door on a double program on the same day.
“I had imagined being able to do that in my head, but deep down I knew it wouldn’t be realistically possible,” Herta said. “On the Indy side, you miss Carb Day, the equivalent of the warm-up, which is a very important day.”
For his first F2 weekend, Herta scored points with a 7th place finish in Australia. Even though this momentum was temporarily interrupted by the calendar break due to the conflict in the Middle East (cancellation of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia), he appreciates not having to wait two months to get back in the car.
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“I love it,” he said. “At the beginning of the year, I thought my only race in North America would be the Indianapolis 500, so it’s really cool to have two F2 races and two circuits that seem very interesting, very enjoyable to drive. So yes, it wasn’t planned in my schedule, but I’m happy to be in Miami and Montreal for the races.”
Homesickness
During this break, Herta also returned to his IndyCar roots by attending the inaugural Arlington Grand Prix. Even though he continues to follow the discipline remotely, it remains emotionally difficult for him.
“Obviously, I’d like to race in IndyCar, but realistically, it probably wouldn’t help what I do full-time, so it’s not going to happen,” he confided. “Or I’d probably say I wouldn’t do it because it could be detrimental to me. But yes, I watch whenever I don’t have a race weekend. I watch all the sessions, qualifying, the races.”
“And part of me suffers a little watching, because I love IndyCar racing. I love participating in it. It’s such a fun car to drive. But it’s been a long time since I’ve really been able to watch an IndyCar race, so in a way, it’s also nice,” concluded the young American.
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