One of many largest tales in all of motorsports because the 2025 calendar yr begins comes from the System 1 world. Subsequent season the grid will increase by one group following F1’s approval of a proposed Cadillac/Common Motors operation.
That group grew out of an preliminary partnership between Cadillac and Andretti Motorsport, and Andretti stays concerned with the brand new group, each with their new homeowners TWG Motorsport as a companion with GM, and with Mario Andretti as a board member of the brand new Cadillac F1 group.
In fact, meaning two new driver spots on the grid for 2026, and hypothesis has already begun as to who the 2 drivers may be that be part of the grid subsequent season. When the preliminary Cadillac-Andretti partnership was introduced in January of 2023, Michael Andretti had one identify in thoughts: Colton Herta.
That is smart, given Herta’s current relationship with Andretti. Herta’s identify has come up for spots on the F1 grid earlier than, and with the upcoming Cadillac F1 group headed to the grid subsequent yr, his identify has been talked about continuously as an choice.
However addressing the media, together with SB Nation, on Tuesday at IndyCar’s Content material Days forward of the 2025 IndyCar season, Herta made it clear that his focus is an IndyCar Championship.
How clear? He has not but executed the mathematics on what outcomes he would wish this season to safe his Tremendous License, which has been a earlier sticking level relating to entry to the F1 grid.
“I suppose the reply to try this is I didn’t even know what the mathematics was to get a Tremendous License, so if it occurs, nice after which I’ll have a choice to make,” stated Herta on Tuesday. “If I’m nonetheless needed.
“I’ll be all proper both method.”
The 2024 IndyCar season was Herta’s finest within the sequence as he completed second within the Drivers’ Championship, simply 31 factors behind Alex Palou. Herta gained a pair of races, one in Toronto and the opposite within the season’s remaining race in Nashville. Greater than the rest, nonetheless, the 2024 marketing campaign was one which noticed Herta and Andretti fill in a lacking piece — their capability on the shorter ovals.
“Yeah, I believe the lacking piece for us has all the time been type of the quick ovals, medium-length ovals. We’ve been good on superspeedways for probably the most half, however that was type of the lacking piece for us, particularly once you take a look at the championship,” described Herta. “We type of improved loads on these medium and shorter ovals, and that was type of the distinction maker for us.
“In order that fills me with lots of confidence. I don’t assume our drawback has actually ever been the road programs and, for probably the most half, many of the highway programs we had been excellent at. However these ovals simply haven’t been my finest, and I believe they began to indicate that they are often a few of my finest for for this coming yr.”
Herta’s sturdy 2024 marketing campaign has given him a transparent objective for the 2025 season.
Championship or bust.
“It actually sucks to complete second. As good as it’s for that being my highest place, it actually sucks to be that shut and never do it,” stated Herta. “You should get that championship, and this yr is not any totally different. That’s what we’re working for.”
Herta was requested concerning the 31-point hole to Palou, and the place he and Andretti may have made up the distinction.
The driving force pointed to 4 particular moments.
“Yeah, it’s fairly straightforward. There’s 4 issues final yr: Crash at Indy, crash in Detroit, lacking the yellow in Iowa Race Two when Alex crashed, and the suitable entrance coming off in Milwaukee. So these are the massive issues that we’re type of ,” started Herta.
“And two of these are my drawback, and two of these are the group’s,” continued Herta. “We’re attempting to proper that unsuitable, and that’s one thing that we type of picked out. If a kind of races goes in a different way, from the place that I’m operating in, we now have a extremely good probability of being a champion.
“So we all know we are able to do it.”
If he certainly secures that IndyCar Championship, Herta might very effectively earn that spot in F1.
However as he famous Tuesday, he’ll be effective both method.
