Cadillac F1 prospect Colton Herta compared to Ferrari's Charles Leclerc by Will Buxton

IndyCar star Colton Herta is the top prospect for a 2026 Cadillac F1 seat, as declared by the American team's director Mario Andretti. Former F1 analyst Will Buxton, who left the pinnacle of motorsport to join FOX's IndyCar TV booth in 2025, has likened the 24-year-old talent to Ferrari's golden boy Charles Leclerc.

Herta is in the prime of his IndyCar career, having finished runner-up in the 2024 championship after two consecutive years of finishing 10th. The Andretti Global driver is IndyCar's youngest race winner and is considered a future champion. As of mid-March 2025, he and Leclerc are almost level on race wins - Herta has nine in IndyCar, while Leclerc has eight in F1, all with Ferrari.

Will Buxton posted an Instagram reel in collaboration with IndyCar, introducing F1 fans to IndyCar by comparing the drivers of the two open-wheel series. While thinking aloud about an F1 counterpart for Herta, he said:

"Colton Herta - feels like he's been around forever, but he's still really young, amazing into 2024, into 2025 aiming for the title - Charles Leclerc."

Both Colton Herta and Charles Leclerc had subpar outings in the first races of their respective series in 2025. Herta was in victory contention at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg until a messy pit stop dragged him down the order for a P16 finish. Similarly, Leclerc and his new teammate Lewis Hamilton struggled at the Australian GP last weekend as Ferrari's strategy mismanagement woes continued to lead to P8 and P10 finishes respectively.

If Herta does join Cadillac in 2026, he'd be riding a car with a Ferrari engine, adding another similarity to Leclerc. The American team will start using its own engines by 2030.

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Juan Pablo Montoya gives Colton Herta a "lot to lose" warning with Cadillac F1

AUTO: JUN 23 NTT IndyCar Series Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey - Source: Getty

Colton Herta became a contender for the Cadillac F1 seat because Andretti Global is the project's main backer alongside General Motors. Herta has been driving for Andretti's IndyCar team since 2020 and recorded eight of his nine race wins with them.

Racing legend Juan Pablo Montoya believes Herta needs to seriously reconsider his potential move to Cadillac. The to-be 11th F1 team has yet to prove itself while Andretti Global's IndyCar team is at the top of its game with Herta.

"I don't find Colton's current position amusing. He has a lot to lose if he goes to F1. He's well established in IndyCar, where he's one of the biggest stars. And if he leaves and someone younger takes that seat and does very well, then there won't be another term for Herta if things don't work out in F1. Is it worth the risk?" the two-time Indy 500 winner said via Oddspedia.

The other names associated with Cadillac's 2026 driver prospect list include F1 drivers Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas, and IndyCar's Alex Palou and Kyle Kirkwood.