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Cadillac has confirmed that Colton Herta will drive for the team during the opening practice session of this weekend’s Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix.
The session will mark Herta’s second FP1 appearance for Cadillac, following his first outing at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix. At the Hungaroring, the American will take over Valtteri Bottas’ seat in the MAC-26, while also balancing his Formula 2 commitments. The Formula 2 Budapest weekend schedule provides further coverage of the supporting series event taking place at the circuit.
Herta is Cadillac’s official test driver and has been supported by the American marque during its debut season in Formula 1. That relationship also includes his Formula 2 programme with Hitech, giving the former IndyCar star an active role across the team’s wider development effort.
Cadillac is using Herta alongside its race drivers, Sergio Perez and Bottas, as it continues to establish itself in Formula 1. His first FP1 appearance came in place of Perez; this time, Bottas will step aside to give the test driver another opportunity to gather experience in the team’s car.
For Herta, the session carries a dual purpose. It represents another important step in his personal development, but his primary responsibility will be to support Cadillac’s progress and provide useful feedback to the race team.
“It’s very exciting to get another chance in FP1,” Herta said. “It’s a good opportunity for my personal experience, but the ultimate goal is, of course, to help the team with its development.”
The American has been out of the car for six weeks, a period in which he says there has been significant evolution. That makes the Hungarian session particularly valuable as Cadillac assesses its latest baseline and gathers information for future running.
“My job is to help the race drivers have the best possible Hungarian Grand Prix – but also provide the feedback that will aid the team in its long-term development aims and give me a better baseline in future sessions,” he added.
Herta’s return offers Cadillac another opportunity to connect its test programme with its race-weekend work, while giving the driver a second chance to demonstrate his value within the team’s developing Formula 1 operation.
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