Alex Palou gives honest verdict on Colton Herta's Cadillac F1 chances

Andretti Global's Colton Herta is reported as the favorite for the 2026 Cadillac F1 seat. Three-time IndyCar champion Alex Palou recently came out and shared his clear opinion on the young American’s chances of signing with the newest F1 team set to debut in 2026.

Palou, who formerly signed a contract with Arrow McLaren in 2022, failed to fulfill the same in 2023 and stayed with Chip Ganassi Racing hinted at how Herta is the favorite to get the Cadillac F1 seat.

“I think there's a person in the series that is looking very well for that seat, and I'll be pulling for him for sure,” said Alex Palou to IndyStar as he referred to Colton Herta.

The Spaniard was himself linked to the McLaren F1 seat, and would've been in the reserve driver role for the Papaya team had he fulfilled the IndyCar contract. However, with the team signing Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris on long-term contracts, Alex Palou didn't see a possibility to get the McLaren F1 seat, and hence continued with CGR.

INDYCAR Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg - Source: Getty

Herta reportedly got a paddock altering contract from Andretti Global which made him the highest paid driver on the IndyCar grid. The contract included the role of the Andretti F1 driver. However, the Formula One Management rejected the group's application, and hence Herta's F2 dream was sidelined.

Nonetheless, with Andretti Global backing the Cadillac F1 project, and coming under the same umbrella of TWG Motorsports, Colton Herta's link to the team has again been established. Former IndyCar champion Mario Andretti was signed as a Director on the Cadillac board and spoke highly of the IndyCar driver.

However, the Andretti Global driver still needs to finish P4 or higher in the championship in 2025 to get enough points to get a Super License. He currently sits at 32 points and needs 40 for the Super License.

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Cadillac Team Principal on the uncertainty around Colton Herta's Super License position

Cadillac's F1 debut is less than a year away and the team still needs to sign both its drivers and an engine supplier. Combine that with the pressure of making a car from scratch for the new regulations, the American team is undoubtedly facing a daunting task ahead of its F1 debut.

Amid this, Cadillac's Team Principal Graeme Lowdon spoke about Colton Herta's Super License points situation. He said (via IndyStar in March 2025):

“We can't choose a driver who doesn't have the points, so that's just the world we live in, and we have to take that into account. Does his (Colton Herta) lack of being at the threshold of a super license in any way affect his ability to drive a race car? No. He's an incredibly talented driver, so for sure it's not shocking news we'd be looking to consider Colton.”

Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas are some other names that have been linked to the Cadillac F1 seat.