Chasing F1 dream, Colton Herta’s IndyCar return could come sooner than you think

For one of American open-wheel racing’s brightest stars, the decision to leave the NTT IndyCar Series and step into FIA Formula 2 in 2026 is both bold and unconventional, but it doesn’t necessarily close the door on one of the sport’s most iconic races: the Indianapolis 500.

Now that the "Great American Race” is in the rearview with Sunday’s thrilling Daytona 500 finish, the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing” is set to take center stage as the next big motorsport display of patriotism this coming May.

And while the next great American racer to pursue his Formula 1 dream is closing in on chasing that pursuit, with the Formula 2 season set to begin in March, the allure of the Indy 500 in 2026 might be too much for Colton Herta to pass up.

Herta, a nine-time IndyCar race winner and one of the series’ most promising talents, shocked motorsport fans when he announced that he was stepping away from his full-time IndyCar drive at Andretti Global to pursue a future in F1 after the 2025 season.

As a part of that effort, he was confirmed as a test and development driver for the new Cadillac F1 team, the major American manufacturer entry set to debut in F1 this year, and he is set to race in F2 with the Hitech TGR squad.

Herta has an open racing schedule in May when F2 has no races scheduled. He says he’d like to find a way to make the Indy 500 part of his month of May again, the way it has been every year since 2019.

“Obviously I want to do it, but I want to make sure it doesn't take away from any of the main stuff I am doing,” Herta told the Associated Press in January. “If I get the chance, I will do it.”

It might not be so easy, though, even with the same group owning the IndyCar and Cadillac teams. After all, the ownership change at Andretti, where Dan Towriss and the TWG Motorsports conglomeration now own the IndyCar team outright as well as the Cadillac F1 entry, created the opportunity for Herta in the first place to make the move to the United Kingdom.

Herta, 25, is now in line to race a junior series loaded with teenagers trying to take the leap to the "Pinnacle of Motorsport".

Herta is also expected to participate in some F1 free practice sessions this year, and those could theoretically be in May.

To top it off, the biggest hurdle is that Andretti fields Honda entries in IndyCar and the Cadillac program is run by General Motors. It would take an agreement between rival manufacturers. It would also take sponsorship for the entry and a commitment from Herta to step away from F2 in May.

In other words, unlike his previous full-time IndyCar campaigns, competing in the Indy 500 as a one-off entry would require several moving parts to align: a temporary release from F2 commitments, a competitive IndyCar entry, potentially with Andretti Global in a one-off car, and an agreement between manufacturers, because Herta’s Cadillac alliance and Andretti’s ongoing Honda partnership complicate traditional team relationships.

Despite those hurdles, there are strong incentives for all involved. For Herta, another Indy 500 start would be a chance to cap off a historic IndyCar chapter on a high note and maintain his American racing profile while chasing his European dreams.

Fans and industry figures alike have openly discussed the possibility, noting both the scheduling alignment and Herta’s expressed desire to return to IndyCar in some capacity later in his career. Herta has said that he plans to finish his professional career in IndyCar no matter what happens in Europe.

Herta’s career in open-wheel racing remains at a unique crossroads: one foot in America’s racing heritage, the other in the global arena of F1.

Former F1 racer and Indy 500 champion Alexander Rossi says Herta is ready for F1.

Herta is hoping to earn enough points for a Super License that would qualify him to eventually step up to the F1 world championship, and while many have suggested that Herta will carry massive pressure, Rossi, who made five F1 starts himself before coming stateside and winning the 2016 Indy 500, says otherwise.

“Colton doesn’t carry any weight, because whether it goes well or not, I can promise you, he won’t lose any sleep over it,” Rossi told Autoweek in January. “It’s partially a dream come true for him. I know he’s going to grab the opportunity with both hands.”

IndyCar’s Pato O’Ward believes Herta’s performance in Europe could change the perception of the American series in F1 circles.

O'Ward says a front-running Herta in F2 would lift’s IndyCar's reputation as a high-caliber series with formidable drivers. And if Herta struggles, O'Ward says everyone will say "I told you so."

"I think it's for us to support his decision and to wish him the best for the sake of showing well for us," O’Ward told ESPN in December. "Because he is the first one who's going to make the move like he's doing from IndyCar going to F2. And we want that to be good, because it would only help the situation maybe with people who don't have a lot of good things to say about IndyCar. Colton doing well would be a win for IndyCar."