"He and my mom are why I'm in IndyCar" - When Colton Herta shared the impact of his father Bryan on his racing career

Colton Herta is the son of former IndyCar driver Bryan Herta. Bryan also played the role of strategist for his son at Andretti until early April 2023. The American driver shared during an Interview in 2021 before the race in Detroit about how his parents, especially his father made a huge impact on his racing career.

Colton Herta said, (via Freep.com):

“Watching my dad race that's kind of where I got the whole idea from growing up, being at the track. I think I always knew from a very young age that I wanted to do this. I was fortunate enough to have my dad be at the track to give me a clear goal. Not only that but (when) I started racing he would help me through the development stage. Growing up through racing helped a bunch.”

“To be able to win with him, it was amazing. Obviously, he and my mom are the reason why I'm in IndyCar and their support through when I was a child and growing up in technique go-kart races every single weekend and their nurturing me to becoming an IndyCar driver. The whole reason I even have the chance of winning is because of those two, and then to be able to share it with my dad is amazing,” he added.

Colton Herta - INDYCAR Bommarito Automotive Group 500 - Source: Getty

Bryan Herta took over the duties of becoming his son's strategist during the 2021 IndyCar season as Marco Andretti moved to a part-time role. This was the first time that the father-son duo worked together. However, midway through the 2023 season, Andretti moved Bryan Herta to the role of Kyle Kirkwood’s strategist.

Colton finished the 2024 IndyCar season as the runner-up in the championship. The Andretti driver has recently been linked to the 2026 Cadillac F1 seat.

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Indycar Insider analyzed Colton Herta's F1 chances

Cadillac's F1 bid was accepted by Formula 1 management earlier this year. With Andretti and GM supporting Cadillac's F1 project, Colton Herta's name is being reported for the 2026 F1 seat. Former IndyCar engineer and now-reporter, Marshall Pruett discussed the same on his podcast.

Pruett said (via Episode MP1559 of his podcast):

“Odds of Colton Herta being one of Cadillac's drivers in 2026, would say, pretty strong, assuming they get him a sufficient amount of super licence points. He might be a couple shy, not many. Does he want to? I think so. I asked him about this a month or two ago. He said that it's not exactly something that he's chasing but he would certainly be open to it,” he said (19:33 onwards).

Herta currently has 32 super license points to his name. The American would require a P4 finish or higher in the 2025 IndyCar championship to be eligible for a super license.