Colton Herta reveals he possessed a signed F1 contract, thwarted by Superlicense hurdles and a difficult decision between racing dreams and reality.
Colton Herta, currently Cadillac's reserve driver in Formula 1 while also competing in Formula 2, has made a candid confession about the opportunities he once had to reach the pinnacle of motorsport. Long before he officially joined the grid this season, the former IndyCar driver had been at the center of rumors surrounding a potential F1 signing — only to see that door close due to a Superlicense issue.
Speaking on the Beyond The Grid podcast, Herta revealed new details about what unfolded: "I really appreciated Dr. Helmut Marko's honesty. It stings sometimes as a driver — you don't always want to hear certain things, but sometimes you need to. The positive side is that he was very upfront about the possibility of joining AlphaTauri in F1."
"There was a real possibility. I had a contract with them, but I couldn't sign it because I didn't have the Superlicense. At one point they were very optimistic, they thought it could happen — but we reached a point where we couldn't wait any longer. I had to sign a new IndyCar contract.
"Michael and Dan were very gracious in taking me back, so I signed with them, which turned out to be the right call, because I hadn't been allowed into Formula 1 and I would have had no seat in either series. I don't know what I would have done after that."
"At the time, I was very grateful to have access to the Red Bull simulator and to be able to talk with Dr. Marko about the possibility of joining F1. A lot of people took the time to guide me and help me along the way."
"My goal in coming here and competing in F2 is to prepare myself as well as possible to become a Formula 1 driver. With Cadillac in the picture, having this chance to make that dream a reality — to achieve that goal of becoming an F1 driver — is an incredible opportunity for me," he concluded.
Can Colton Herta Make It to F1?
Yes — and it could happen at any moment. Should Sergio Pérez or Valtteri Bottas suffer any physical issue preventing them from taking to the track in an official session, Herta and Zhou Guanyu would be the team's primary candidates to step in at short notice.
While the Chinese driver holds an edge given his history with the outfit, the prospect of seeing an American driver race for a newly established American tea is compelling enough that it cannot be overlooked.