F1 fans back Cadillac to sign Andretti talent to race seat
RacingNews365 readers want the all-new Cadillac F1 Team to sign Andretti IndyCar ace Colton Herta as its first driver.
F1 is set to welcome a General Motors-Cadillac team onto the grid from the 2026 season after a deal was agreed following the earlier rejection of the Andretti-GM bid lodged after the FIA opened its expression of interest process in January 2023.
F1 indicated that should GM come forward with a power unit for 2028, it would reconsider the merits of the bid, which has now been accepted – albeit without Michael Andretti who has stepped back from his day-to-day duties.
Immediately, even before the team has designed its first car, the game of guessing who could form the driver line-up has started – with Herta the favourite according to a RacingNews365 poll.
With over 3,500 votes cast, Herta emerged the winner with some 22.48% of the vote – although this is not a majority with the other options presented giving the remaining 77.52%.
The full results are available to view below – including a tight battle for second place including two drivers on the current grid without 2025 seats and an IndyCar champion with F1 dreams…
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The problem Herta faces
Herta was heavily-linked with a move to F1 in mid-2022 when Helmut Marko wanted him to race for what was then AlphaTauri and is now RB.
However, at the time, he did not qualify for a superlicence with only 32 points for the three-year period, with 40 required. The FIA were not willing to waive the requirement.
The American now faces a similar situation if Cadillac chooses him to be a driver.
If he were to apply for his 2026 superlicence in 2025, the three-year period would count as 2022-2024, when he scored the 32 points he currently has.
If Cadillac were to apply in early 2026 for the super licence, Herta would count his points from the 2023-2025 period, including his finishing position in the 2025 IndyCar standings.
To qualify for the superlicence, he would need to finish fourth or higher in the standings in 2025, something he did in 2020 (third) and 2024 (second).
He can also supplement his points tally with FP1 outings, earning one point for every 100km driven.
