Colton Herta's third Formula 1 chance is real. Cadillac F1 has confirmed that the American will join the team for four FP1 sessions across the 2026 season, with his maiden weekend pencilled in for the Spanish Grand Prix at Barcelona-Catalunya in June.
The announcement closes a long, painful chapter for Herta and reopens one of the more compelling driver-development storylines of the new American-funded F1 entry. Herta had been on the verge of joining AlphaTauri earlier in his career and was within days of confirmation before the FIA Super License system blocked the move. He has now had to navigate two separate near-misses before landing a programme he can actually drive.
In an interview before the announcement, Herta described what the AlphaTauri collapse felt like in real time.
"The AlphaTauri deal seemed very real to me," he said. "And then when that didn't happen, I was like, 'Look, okay, kind of getting up there in age, probably won't have another opportunity'."
He also outlined how unstable the negotiation became.
"One day it was, if I had to put a percentage, maybe it's 80 per cent, and then the next day he's like, '40. Wait, we've clawed back, so maybe 60'," Herta recalled.
The blocker, ultimately, was administrative rather than performance-based.
"I had a contract from them," Herta said. "I was just unable to sign, because I didn't have the Super License."
The Cadillac route is different. Because FP1 outings only require a free practice license rather than a full Super License, Herta will get to step into a real F1 weekend without first needing to clear the points threshold that blocked his AlphaTauri move. By running four sessions across a calendar year, he can also build the F1 mileage that the FIA's points system rewards.
Herta did not hide what the call from Cadillac meant.
"And then this came around, and I was like, 'Geez, count my lucky stars. This is a amazing opportunity'," he said. He has already moved into team-mode mentality. "I'm fully focused on making this one the one that counts and works."
When asked directly whether this was a third F1 chance for him, Herta did not hesitate. "Yeah, 100 per cent."
Cadillac's leadership backed the decision in similar terms. The team's principal Graeme Lowdon, the man who has been quietly stitching the operation together since its inception, framed Herta as a fit for the team's American-driven brand identity but also as a serious motorsport asset.
"Colton is a top talent, which he has not only proved by building an impressive resume in the NTT IndyCar Series before joining us, but also with a strong start to his Formula 2 season," Lowdon said.
"Colton has really earned this opportunity," Towriss said. "These sessions are a valuable opportunity for him to integrate with the team, develop his skills behind the wheel and off the track, and learn about a Grand Prix weekend from the inside."
For Herta himself, the official line is appropriately measured. "I can't wait to get behind the wheel of the Cadillac Formula 1 Team car for the first time," he said. "I am looking forward to working closely with the team in a full Grand Prix environment and am fully focused on learning from every appearance."
The symbolism is hard to miss. Cadillac is the eleventh team on the grid, the first American-flagged works entry of the 21st century, and one of the few seats on the entire pit lane willing to bet on an American driver. Herta is the highest-profile American open-wheel racer of his generation. The fit is obvious — and it has finally arrived without the visa-style block that broke the last one.
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*Originally published on [NewsFormula One](https://newsformula.one/article/colton-herta-cadillac-f1-fp1-program-alphatauri-collapse-2026-third-chance). Visit for full coverage.*