Colton Herta never imagined his debut Formula 2 season would be this tough. The American arrived in Europe with a stellar reputation from IndyCar, but eighteen races later, he's stuck 19th in the standings with 26 points. His best result? Fifth in the Barcelona sprint race, from third on the reversed grid. Ironic given his ambition to reach F1 with Cadillac by 2028.
Herta knew F2 was a brutal championship for rookies, especially skipping F3 and having to master Pirelli tyres from the get-go. But he didn't expect struggles this big. "Nothing in particular, it's just been the whole thing. Unfortunately, there haven't been a bunch of positives at any point. For whatever reason, there's been zero pace, and nothing has really changed," he told Autosport. "It's unclear why we can't put a weekend together from start to finish and be completely strong. It's just a head-scratcher to be qualified three seconds off here [in Baku]. It just makes zero sense to me."
Herta's analysis is accurate. He showed promise in pre-season testing at Barcelona, joint 11th-fastest, only 0.574s down on pacesetter Rafael Camara, a fellow rookie and reigning F3 champion. But since then, his form has dipped. In the first five rounds, he averaged 14th in qualifying with a 0.848s deficit. Over the next eight qualifying sessions, he slipped to an average of 18th with a gap of 1.088s. In Baku, it ballooned to 2.484s in Q1 and 3.091s in Q2. Crashes also became frequent, with three incidents across Monza and Madrid.
Yet Herta refuses to give up. "It's frustrating, but all we can do is just keep trying," he said. "I guess, unsure if that's the last one [of the season] 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." This statement reveals a champion's mentality, unwilling to drown in adversity.
Despite his struggles, Herta remains optimistic about reaching F1 in 2028. He believes the F2 experience, however harsh, will be valuable. "I may be older, but speed-wise, these guys are just as fast as anybody out there," he admitted. "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." This self-awareness shows maturity beyond his years.
Cadillac, who backs Herta, seems to still have full faith. Their F1 project for 2028 needs a driver with a blend of speed and experience, and Herta fits the bill. However, he must quickly find a solution to his missing pace. The Hitech team also needs to work harder to provide a more competitive package. Otherwise, 2026 could become a major stumbling block in his career.
Formula 2 is known as an unpredictable arena. Many top drivers have failed to shine here but succeeded elsewhere. Herta has natural talent and solid team support. What he needs now is a bit of luck and a technical breakthrough. Let's wait and see if he can bounce back in the remaining races and realize his F1 dream.
Baca Juga
Colton Herta masih berjuang di F2 musim 2026, tetapi tetap yakin bisa menembus F1 2028 bersama Cadillac. Simak analisis performa dan peluangnya.
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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