Colton Herta makes sensational F2 switch to Hitech TGR for 2026

Written by Vyas Ponnuri

IndyCar star Colton Herta will make a dramatic swap from IndyCar to Formula 2 colours in 2026. The Californian will be racing for Hitech TGR's F2 outfit, spearheading the British team's charge in the upcoming season.

Herta will swap Andretti overalls for PREMA Racing.... but not in IndyCar! | Credit: Joe Skibinski

2025 marked another strong IndyCar season for the 25-year-old, who scored 372 points in a season featuring as many as seven different winners, despite the all-conquering Álex Palou dominance during the campaign. Herta, however, didn't win a race in the year, taking podiums at Detroit and Laguna Seca.

Herta has IndyCar pedigree, though, having continually pushed for glory since he joined the series full-time in 2019. The Andretti man finished third in only his second full season with the team, apart from finishing 31 points off eventual champion Palou in 2024. Highly regarded as a champion in the making, Herta hasn't been able to take the final step towards the ultimate silverware, often making crucial errors and falling short.

Apart from his IndyCar exploits, Herta's European racing record is certainly not one to be scoffed at. Having moved over to European racing circles at 15, the Californian racer first raced in the MSA Formula Championship (now British F4)

Herta took victories at Snetterton, Rockingham and Brands Hatch, on his way to third in the standings. While he did not meet the minimum age requirement to race in the British Formula 3 season in 2016, Herta switched to the Euroformula series, finishing third with four wins and seven podiums to his name.

Herta made his way to Europe to race in the erstwhile MSA Formula Championship in 2015 | Credit: Jakob Ebrey Photography

Filling in for eventual Formula One racer Lando Norris midway into British F3 in the same year, Herta took victory at Brands Hatch and two podiums at Oulton Park, displaying his sheer speed and talent before the European audience. Returning stateside, he would join the Indy Lights championship for two full seasons, before graduating to IndyCar full-time from 2019.

This isn't the first time the Californian has been linked to F1 or its subsequent feeder series. Herta was previously touted to race for the erstwhile Alfa Romeo outfit ahead of F1's ground-effect era in 2022, with reports even stating he had lapped faster than the two incumbent racers on the simulator. However, nothing materialised, and both parties continued their way.

The Californian recently announced his move to become a test driver for the Cadillac F1 Team, serving as an understudy to the experienced duo of Sergio Pérez and Valtteri Bottas as the team takes to the grid in 2026.

Herta was delighted on his latest switch to F2, believing this was the perfect recipe for a successful move up to F1 in the future:

“I’m incredibly excited to be joining Hitech for the 2026 FIA Formula 2 season,” said Herta. “This is a big shift in my career, and I’m ready for the challenge. I’ve loved my time in IndyCar and I’m proud of everything I achieved, but the opportunity to race in F2 – to compete on the Formula 1 calendar, against some of the best young drivers in the world – was one I couldn’t pass up.

“I’ve always worked to keep the door to F1 open, and this move is part of that ultimate ambition. I know it won’t be easy – learning the car, the tyres, the tracks – but I’m approaching this with determination, focus, and a lot of motivation. My goal is to compete at the front, continue developing as a driver, and put myself in the best possible position for a future in Formula 1.

“Hitech has an excellent reputation and a proven track record, and I’m confident it’s the right environment for me to develop and perform. I want to thank them for believing in me and providing the platform to make this step.”

Hitech TGR's team manager Clive Hatton too expressed his gratitude to have Herta on the team for 2026, and said:

“We’re delighted to welcome Colton to the team for the 2026 Formula 2 season. He already brings a level of experience, professionalism, and talent that we’re typically used to nurturing in drivers as they progress through the junior categories.

“This is an exciting step for Colton, but also a challenging one. He’s stepping into a new racing environment that has very different formats, with high expectations, and a clear goal of progressing to F1. But his determination and commitment are impressive and we’re delighted to help maximise his potential during the 2026 season.”

There's no doubt a return to the F2 set-up will mark a challenging transition period for Herta, with lower top speeds and downforce on the current ground-effect style of F2 cars as compared to IndyCar. Herta will also take some time to get into rhythm around venues on the F2 calendar, having last raced at several circuits a decade ago.