The 26 year old American, the team's reserve driver, will take part in four FP1 sessions this season, two of them will be in the Mexican's car and the other two in Bottas's.
Cadillac has confirmed the running plan for its reserve driver, and Checo Pérez's name appears on the calendar, Colton Herta, the 26 year old American who competes in Formula 2 with Hitech, will take part in four free practice sessions (FP1) throughout the 2026 season, two of them will be at the expense of the Mexican and the other two, in Valtteri Bottas's car.
Herta's debut with the American car is scheduled for the Spanish Grand Prix, which will take place from June 12 to 14 at the Barcelona Catalunya circuit, there, the young driver will get into the Cadillac in the first practice session on Friday, replacing Sergio Pérez. F1 regulations require regular drivers to give up two FP1 sessions per year to rookie drivers, and Cadillac has decided to meet the requirement in this way.
The news, however, has generated some confusion in certain sectors that interpreted that Herta could replace Pérez in the race, but nothing could be further from the truth. The American's program is limited to free practice sessions, the Mexican will get back in the car for qualifying and for Sunday's Grand Prix. His seat is not in danger.
Herta, who was IndyCar champion in 2023 and 2024 before making the jump to Europe, is considered one of the great promises of American motorsport, his signing by Cadillac as a test driver was announced at the beginning of the season, and his FP1 program is a natural part of his development. The goal is for the young driver to familiarize himself with Formula 1 cars and be ready for a eventual race seat in the future.
In addition to Barcelona, Herta will take part in three other FP1 sessions throughout the year. The circuits and dates have not yet been confirmed by the team, both Pérez and Bottas will give up their seats twice each throughout the season.
Cadillac's plan is consistent with that of other teams on the grid. McLaren, for example, has given FP1 opportunities to its young prospects, Aston Martin did the same with Jak Crawford in Japan. The rule, designed to facilitate the arrival of new talent to the category, is a key piece in the driver development ecosystem.
Checo Pérez, meanwhile, prepares for the next challenge, the Canadian Grand Prix, which takes place this weekend at the Gilles Villeneuve circuit in Montreal, will be the fifth round of the championship and the Mexican has two clear goals, to finish the race (something he has achieved in the last three rounds) and, finally, to score the first points for Cadillac.
Barcelona and the handing over of his seat to Herta are still far away.
