Norris believes Herta should already be in F1.
"He's likely better than most drivers."
16 September 2025 - 11:41
Lando Norris believes that American Indycar standout Colton Herta should be granted a Formula 1 seat now, rather than having to wait until 2027. Herta, who has ties to Andretti and has been named Cadillac’s official test driver for 2026, currently does not meet the criteria for an FIA super license. The 25-year-old is set to compete in Formula 2 next season to earn the necessary points, even though he has already demonstrated his capabilities at the highest level of Indycar.
“I think he's capable of driving a Formula 1 car at an exceptionally high standard,” McLaren driver Norris told the Indy Star newspaper. “He’s likely more skilled than many of the drivers currently coming up in F3 or F2, so I wouldn't think he should have to race in F2, if I were in charge.”
Norris, who was Herta's teammate at Carlin a decade ago in what is now known as British F4, mentioned that the level of competition in Indycar is often underestimated. "IndyCar is one of the toughest series globally,” he stated. “It’s an incredibly challenging car to operate, and I’ve tried it myself. You can observe that the level of those drivers is exceptionally high.
“I’m not sure how many points they earn in Indycar, but I would rate them higher than the level of Formula 2."
Meanwhile, Bobby Epstein - the chairman of the Circuit of the Americas and promoter of the US Grand Prix in Austin - informed Newsweek that the expansion of the paddock for the 12th team in 2026 has already started. “We need to construct new garages because there will be an additional team on the grid," he disclosed. “Someone mentioned, 'You're building the Cadillac garages,' and I replied, 'What makes you think those garages will be for Cadillac? I don't expect them to be the last-place team.’”
Epstein went on to explain, “They pointed out that it goes by the previous year, so I overlooked that. Thus, those will automatically be designated as the Cadillac garages by default."
He also noted that the success of an American driver would elevate F1’s profile further in the United States. "For the sake of the sport, independent of just COTA and the grand prix at our track, having an American champion driver would significantly enhance the sport's status. That would elevate it to the next level."
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