IndyCar insider reacts to aide's intriguing statistical comparison between Colton Herta and F1 superstar Lando Norris

Colton Herta has been heavily linked with a 2026 F1 switch with Cadillac lately. Many see him as one of the top candidates, and amid the ever-building hype, the F1-turned-IndyCar pundit, Will Buxton, has drawn a comparison with McLaren superstar Lando Norris. His IndyCar co-commentator, James Hinchcliffe, reacted to it.

The 2025 F1 title favorite, Norris has been competing in motorsport's pinnacle since 2019. He has so far amassed 128 race starts but has only secured four wins. In light of the McLaren driver's average record and how highly he is rated, Buxton has somewhat backed Herta's bid for an F1 berth in 2026.

Via his official X account, Buxton replied to a fan's tweet highlighting Herta's statistics by comparing them to Norris's. The fan's tweet read:

"Colton Herta stats (100 starts in F-Indy): - 0 championships (best result: 2nd); - 9 wins (less than 1%); - 6 fastest laps; - 14 poles; - 18 podiuns. 9 seasons… 7 of them with Andretti. Sorry… that’s not “F1 material” You have plenty of better drivers in F1 (as reserve) & F2"

In response, Will Buxton compared Colton Herta's numbers to Lando Norris's:

"Lando Norris 125 starts, 0 championships (best result 2nd), 4 wins, 12 fastest laps, 9 poles, 26 podiums. 2025 title favourite? You bet. Stats will only ever tell you so much. And ask Lando how highly he rates Colton. (Clue… very.)"

James Hinchcliffe reacted to the assessment:

"Hope the mic had a nice soft landing spot."

Herta's name getting thrown around in F1 regarding a 2026 seat is not happening for the first time. In recent years, he has regularly been in the conversation, and he even drove McLaren's MCL35M during a test session in 2022.

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F1 legend warns Colton Herta over potential 2026 Cadillac switch

While Will Buxton has come up with a fascinating take on Colton Herta by comparing him with Lando Norris, former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya asks whether it would be wise for Herta to risk his racing career in the ruthless world of F1. In a conversation with Motorsport, he said:

"It would be a really nice story if Colton Herta was there, but he's already really well established in America, I don't know how smart it would be to come in [to F1] at the position he's at in America. To change everything and risk everything for F1. He'd be entering a situation that's not easy, where they don't know [at Cadillac] how competitive they're going to be, how fast they're going to be.

He's in one of the best teams in America, where he has a chance to win races every week, and would suddenly change to be in the bottom five every week to say he is in F1. It's not easy."

Herta has been competing in American open-wheel racing's highest class since 2018. He has secured 100 race starts and is the youngest driver (18 years) to win a Grand Prix in the series. Moreover, in the 2024 season of the sport, he ended his 17-race campaign in the runner-up spot. He is one of IndyCar's well-established drivers and considering that he is only 24 years old, he could be seen in the Cadillac F1 cockpit for 2026 if the stars align.