While the popular 24-year-old Californian may still dream of competing on racing's top international stage, he spent the first of two IndyCar media days Tuesday explaining that he's focusing solely on a successful 2025 season, not whether he could move to Europe.
“I’ve kind of been dragged around in this talk for, it feels like half a decade now, and I’ve had to carry it in front of me for a while. So I’m kind of tired of that being the case," Herta said. “I just want to drive at this point and focus on IndyCar this year and focus on winning the championship. If something arises out of that, I’d have to think about it.”
It's unlikely Herta can quash the talk that quickly or easily, especially now that the FIA has announced it will add an 11th team, Cadillac F1, to the F1 grid starting in 2026. Herta was always the American driver tied to the effort.
Michael Andretti, the longtime IndyCar team owner who carried the banner for an American F1 team, won't be calling the shots. He stepped away from the bid in September, allowing Andretti Global majority owners Dan Towriss and Mark Walter to run motorsports.
Towriss is the CEO and president of Group 1001 and entered motorsports when his financial savings platform, Gainbridge, joined Andretti's IndyCar team as a sponsor. Towriss is now a major part of the motorsports scene, with ownership stakes in both Spire Motorsports’ NASCAR team and Wayne Taylor Racing’s sports car team.
Gainbridge just happens to also be the primary sponsor of Herta's No. 26 Honda.
Before Herta would be eligible to run in F1, though, he would need an FIA super license, which is based in part on the points drivers accumulate over the previous three seasons.
Would he have enough to qualify after this season? Perhaps.
"I guess the answer to that is I don't even know what the math is to get a super license,” Herta said. “So if it happens, it happens and great, I'll have a decision to make — if I'm still wanted. If it doesn't happen then for me, I'm stuck racing in IndyCar. I'll be all right.”
Winning the IndyCar championship would be more than enough for a super license, and after six full seasons and 99 career starts in IndyCars, Herta could be poised to make that big jump.
He finished last season with six top-five finishes and two wins in the final seven races, showing he could be equally competitive on ovals, street and road courses as he surged into second in the final standings. Herta fell 31 points shy of champion Alex Palou, who has won three of the last four titles.
Herta figures that if he had not crashed in Indianapolis and Detroit, or had a tire mishap in Milwaukee or some bad luck in Iowa by pitting one lap before a crash brought out a yellow flag, he might already own that elusive title.
“I'm not happy. It really sucks to finish second," Herta said. “As nice as it is, for that being my best finish, it really sucks to be that close and not do it.”
But Palou is ceding nothing.
He already has overcome some self-inflicted distractions over contract questions, which team he would eventually land with and questions about his own F1 hopes. Yet he begins this season chasing a three-peat.
“It's going to take a lot of effort, the competition is really tough," the Spaniard said. "You're fighting against multiple teams. We've had a lot of work on short ovals. It's going to be fun. We won the last championship with only two wins, so that shows how tough it is.”
And it won't get any easier with Herta pursuing his first series crown and possibly a chance to drive in F1 — even if he'd rather not discuss it.
"It's not a for-sure thing,” Herta said. "All my friends and family are still here in the U.S., and I don't know anybody where I'm going. So, it's a big, big decision to make if I have to make a decision.”
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