Colton Herta drops blunt 5-word verdict after being predicted as Long Beach GP winner

Colton Herta has dropped a blunt five-word reaction after being tipped to win the Long Beach Grand Prix. The 25-year-old has been widely backed as the favourite to clinch the top step of the podium at the California street circuit.

The Andretti Autosport driver heads into Sunday’s race off the back of an impressive qualifying session, where he secured second place, only behind teammate Kyle Kirkwood. Herta’s qualifying performance, coupled with his overall impressive outing over the weekend, has strengthened claims that he could clinch the win on the night.

However, amid the growing buzz surrounding the possibility of a Colton Herta victory, the driver has taken to social media to issue a reaction. Herta urged fans to avoid propping him up as the favourite for the win, as he wrote on X:

“Stop picking me for this!”

It’s not hard to see why there is a widespread belief that the IndyCar star is a strong contender to win the Long Beach race. He boasts an impressive record at the California circuit. In his five races at the street track, the California native has recorded a victory and a podium finish, rounding out three top-five finishes in his five outings at the track.

---

Colton Herta speaks on Alex Palou’s IndyCar dominance

Colton Herta also weighed in on the early dominance of Alex Palou during the 2025 IndyCar season. The 28-year-old has recorded two victories from the opening two GPs of the campaign so far.

The Chip Ganassi star has clinched his victories in style, underlining his current dominance over the rest of the grid. At the Thermal Club Grand Prix, Palou qualified third and finished the race with a commanding 10-second lead ahead of pole-sitter Pato O’Ward.

Ahead of the Long Beach Grand Prix and with the Spanish-born driver starting third behind Herta, talks of him toppling the qualifying order to clinch another race victory have gradually resurfaced. However, reacting to this and the possibility of Palou's continued dominance, Herta said he isn’t too worried, noting that there are circuits coming up where he and his team can close the gap.

Speaking to IndyCar reporter Bob Pockrass, the Andretti driver said:

"I'm not too worried about it. There are places that we can claw back points on him, I think, where we'll have better cars. But it is tough. You don't want to give a lead out to anybody. But like I said, at Thermal, we've closed down the gap to Alex last year in half the amount of races that we have, so it's definitely possible."

Colton Herta and Alex Palou were the two leading contenders for the IndyCar Series championship during the 2024 season. Palou clinched the title by just 31 points, thanks to recording three more top-five finishes than Herta.