Mario Andretti Names 'Good Bet' For Cadillac F1 Team Driver

Mario Andretti sees Colton Herta as a strong candidate for Cadillac's 2026 Formula 1 entry.

Mario Andretti looks out on the track Friday, May 17, 2024, during Fast Friday ahead of the 108th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. / Gary Mook/For IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

1978 Formula 1 champion and motorsport icon Mario Andretti regards IndyCar driver Colton Herta as a strong candidate for a seat on the soon-to-be-launched Cadillac Formula 1 team in 2026.

Currently racing in the IndyCar series for Andretti under TWG Motorsports, which belongs to TWG Global, Colton Herta has long been regarded as a potential choice for a Formula 1 move. Meanwhile, the Cadillac Formula 1 team is preparing to join the prestigious Formula 1 circuit next season after finally securing an agreement in principle with the commercial rights holder and the FIA towards the end of 2024.

During an interview with Motorsport.com, Andretti spoke about the upcoming entry of the Cadillac F1 team. He explained:

“Looking back at the way Colton has trained from the very beginning of his young career — as you know, he started in Formula 3 and so on with the likes of Lando Norris, and he’s done some F1 testing.

“Zak Brown gave him a good test at Portimao in Portugal. You should see the report that we got from Andrea Stella. And Andrea is an individual that says it like it is — so again, he’s a great candidate. 

“And all of this has to be proven, of course, but going in, he’s a good bet, in my opinion.”

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In 2024, Herta put in an impressive performance in the IndyCar series. Andretti reflected on Herta's 2024 IndyCar season. He added:

“Some mistakes were made last year that cost him a championship, and unfortunately that happens.

“Sometimes you put too much pressure on yourself and then you make that mistake. 

“But when you look at the ingredients that were there, you had the ingredients of a champion. But for just one of those instances, he could have been champion. 

“So, when you look back and assess all those things, you’ve got to feel pretty good.”

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With the deadline for finalizing the driver lineup approaching, Cadillac is determined in its search for talented drivers. Andretti assured that the team is weighing all options.

“You think about those things every day, and that’s going to become official probably mid-year.

“We are obviously looking at every aspect of every opportunity that’s there,” he added. 

“It’s clear that the objectives are to have at least one American driver and then another experienced driver alongside, and start like that.”

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