Colton Herta has made it clear he is not closing the door on Formula 1. The American is enduring a tough rookie season in Formula 2 with Hitech, sitting 19th in the standings with 26 points. Despite the struggles, his determination to reach the F1 grid remains strong, especially with his involvement with the Cadillac team.
Herta recently seemed to shut the door on another F2 season, saying he had "no interest in another year of Formula 2." However, in his latest clarification to Autosport, he explained that a return has not been completely ruled out. "I said 'I don't have an interest'," he said. "This year, if there was clear progression, it would be more interesting to return, but there's zero progression."
The Californian native has actually felt significant progress when working with the F1 team. "I've been doing a lot more with the F1 team now as far as sim stuff. I just did a TPC [Testing of Previous Cars] day on Monday, which was very strong," he explained. "On the F1 sim and the TPC stuff, the pace has been really strong, but for whatever reason, it's just not translating to F2."
The mismatch between simulator performance and real-world F2 results is a puzzle that needs solving. Herta admits his F2 results have fallen short of the expectations set by Cadillac before the season. Cadillac F1 CEO Dan Towriss had previously targeted a top-10 championship finish. Herta's best result this season is fifth in the Barcelona sprint, while his qualifying performances have deteriorated as the season progressed. In Azerbaijan, he managed only ninth in the sprint, then 13th and 15th in the two feature races.
Nevertheless, Herta is still in discussions with Cadillac about what role he could take next season. "I don't have anything for next year at the moment, but we're discussing, getting through that as far as what the opportunities are for me within the team," he said. His main priority remains reaching F1, not just extending his stay in the feeder category. "It all depends on what next year looks like. My focus is still on getting to F1, and I still think I have a chance of that in these next two years," he added.
Herta realizes that the final decision will depend on Cadillac's plans for him. "I have to sit back and see what the plan is for Cadillac for me. And once I know that, then I can make more decisions on maybe if I'm in Formula 1, if I'm not. What does that look like in terms of, is it a reserve role? Is it still a test role? If that's the case, what other series can I race in during that to stay busy?" he explained. "So, there's a lot of just, like, nothing to say at the moment, unfortunately, until I have more solidified plans for next year."
With his contract situation unclear, Herta is at a career crossroads. He must prove that his F1 potential can translate into on-track performance, or he may have to accept that the path to an F1 race seat is becoming increasingly steep. But one thing is certain: Herta is not giving up without a fight.
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