Colton Herta is not giving up on his Formula 1 dream. Despite a challenging debut season in Formula 2 with Hitech, the American driver remains confident that he can still make it to F1 by 2028.
Herta knew that switching from IndyCar to F2 would be a gamble. “It would be foolish to sit here and think that I will be on the pace right away, that I will be on the pace and ready to win in my first race,” he said. “I may be older, but speed-wise, these guys are just as fast as anybody out there.”
Unfortunately, the reality on track has been harsher than he imagined. The Cadillac protege currently lies 19th in the standings with 26 points, his best result being fifth in the Barcelona sprint race from third on the reversed grid. Beyond that, his performances have been far from impressive.
“Nothing in particular, it's just been the whole thing,” Herta told Motorsport.com in an exclusive interview. “Unfortunately, there hasn't been a whole bunch of positives at any point. For whatever reason, there's been zero pace, and nothing has really changed.” He even admitted to being baffled by a three-second deficit in qualifying. “It just makes zero sense to me,” he added.
Herta's analysis is accurate. He showed promise in pre-season testing at Barcelona, setting the joint 11th-fastest time, just 0.574s behind pacesetter Rafael Camara. But that form didn't last. In the first five rounds, he qualified 14th on average with a 0.848s deficit to the top. Over the next eight qualifying sessions, he averaged 18th with a mean gap of 1.088s. The nadir came in Baku, where his deficit ballooned to 2.484s in Q1 and 3.091s in Q2.
Crashes have also become more frequent, with three incidents across the recent Monza and Madrid rounds. “It's frustrating, but all we can do is just keep trying,” Herta said. “I guess, unsure if that's the last one [of the season, with Qatar and Abu Dhabi at threat due to the Iran war] or if we have more, but we'll keep working like we have two more races to do. I'll try to get the most out of it.”
Despite a disappointing season, Herta remains optimistic. He acknowledges that F2 is a tough proving ground, especially for a driver who skipped F3. But he believes that with hard work and adaptation, the door to Formula 1 in 2028 remains open. “I still have a chance,” he insists.
With a few races left this season, Herta is determined to turn his fortunes around and showcase his true potential. If he can do so, the path to F1 could once again be within reach.
Baca Juga
Colton Herta tetap percaya bisa masuk F1 pada 2028 meski musim debutnya di F2 bersama Hitech berjalan sulit. Simak perjuangannya di sisa musim.
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