Colton Herta says his aim of reaching Formula 1 remains alive for the next two years, even as his first Formula 2 season has fallen well short of expectations. The American, who joined Hitech after competing in IndyCar, is 19th in the drivers’ standings with 26 points, and his best result so far is fifth in the Barcelona sprint race, which began from third on the reversed grid.

Herta entered F2 knowing that adapting to the series would be difficult. He skipped Formula 3 and had to learn the Pirelli tyres, while taking on a field he knew would be competitive. “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. I may be older, but speed-wise, these guys are just as fast as anybody out there,” he said of the move and the challenge.

The season has proved more difficult than he anticipated. Asked in an exclusive interview with Autosport what had been hardest to understand, Herta said: “Nothing in particular, it's just been the whole thing. Unfortunately, there hasn't been a whole bunch of positives at any point. For whatever reason, there's been zero pace, and nothing has really changed. “It's unclear why we can't put a weekend together from start to finish and it be completely strong. I think it's just a head-scratcher to be qualified three seconds off here [in Baku]. It just makes zero sense to me.”

Herta said the issue did not begin with a clear problem adjusting to the car or tyres. He recalled being competitive in winter and private testing, but said those results did not carry into race weekends. “Initially, no. Through the winter testing, we were fairly strong. All the private testing that I’d done, I was strong, but for some reason on race weekends, it just hasn't ever translated.”

His pre-season pace offered reason for optimism. At Barcelona testing, Herta was joint 11th-fastest, 0.574 seconds behind pace-setter Rafael Camara, who was also a rookie after winning the F3 championship. In the first five rounds, Herta qualified 14th on average, with a mean gap of 0.848 seconds to the fastest driver.

His qualifying form then slipped. Across the next eight sessions, he averaged 18th, and his average deficit grew to 1.088 seconds. Those figures exclude Baku, where he was 2.484 seconds off in the first qualifying segment, Q1, and 3.091 seconds behind in Q2. The size of the gap there left Herta unable to explain the performance.

Crashes have also become more frequent. Herta had at least three across the recent rounds at Monza and Madrid, adding to a season that has not delivered the results Cadillac had hoped to see. Cadillac F1 chief executive Dan Towriss had expected Herta to finish in the championship’s top 10, a target that is now almost mathematically out of reach.

Cadillac had said Herta, its test and development driver, could have a genuine opportunity to earn an F1 seat in the not-too-distant future if he performed well enough in F2. Herta said the team has not given him feedback about his feeder-series performances. He is now in discussions with the F1 outfit about 2027, though no role has been settled.

He has not ruled out another F2 season, despite conflicting reports in the media, but said it is not his preferred outcome at present. “I said ‘I don't have an interest’,” Herta said. “This year, I think if there was clear progression and whatnot, it would be more interesting to return, but there's zero progression.”

His work with Cadillac’s F1 programme has gone better, he said, including simulator sessions and a recent test in a previous car. Herta completed the TPC, or Testing of Previous Cars, day on Monday and described it as strong. “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. 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.”

Asked whether he remained firmly on Cadillac’s books for 2027, Herta said there was no agreement in place. “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 is weighing what a possible reserve or test role could mean for his racing plans, including which other series could keep him active.

A return to IndyCar, where Herta was runner-up in 2024, is also possible depending on what Cadillac offers. He said his priority remains reaching F1 and that he believes he still has a chance within the next two years. “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. But I don't know exactly, 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? “So, there's a lot of just, like, nothing to say at the moment, unfortunately, until I have more solidified plans for next year - then I can build everything out around that.”

Herta said he would keep working as though two races remain, while noting uncertainty about the schedule. The Qatar and Abu Dhabi rounds are at risk because of the Iran war, and he said he did not know whether the latest event would be the season’s final one. “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, with Qatar and Abu Dhabi at threat due to the Iran war] 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.”

Based on reporting by Autosport.