Pato O'Ward: Colton Herta's F2 gamble points to a 2027 F1 seat

IndyCar driver Pato O'Ward has reacted to Colton Herta's move to Formula 2 alongside a test driver role, arguing that the American driver likely has an offer for a Formula 1 seat in 2027.

Herta signed with the Cadillac F1 Team as a test driver alongside a seat with Hitech in F2 as he works to gain the required superlicence points to compete in F1 in the future.

“He's very talented,” O’Ward told RACER. “He's been a great competitor in IndyCar, and I wish him the best. I think I'd be shocked to not see him in a Formula 1 [seat] in 2027. I don't think he'd be doing this switch if that wasn't on the table for him.

“So I'm super excited for him, and I really want him to do well, because he's going to be our IndyCar representation. I think he doesn't just have himself on board. I think he's definitely got a lot of guys that are pushing for him to do well outside of just being in Formula 2 next year. We want him to make it to Formula 1, and we want him to do well.”

The Mexican driver added: “The task is tall. The tires are very different. The car is much worse than an Indy car, so he's definitely downgrading in terms of car capabilities and car feeling.

“Like I said, I'd be shocked to know that he's doing this just to do it. I definitely know... Well, I don't know, but I really hope this is the case, that he's doing it because he has a Formula 1 seat, because otherwise he will really miss IndyCar. I know he will.”

While the move to F2 is a risk, Cadillac F1 Team CEO Dan Towriss argued that without risk, there is no reward.

Pato O'Ward, McLaren

Photo by: Andy Hone/ LAT Images via Getty Images

“For Colton, this has always been a dream of his, to drive in F1, but to do that, this is the path he had to take,” Towriss told Sky Sports F1. “He has to take a huge risk, a huge amount of risk – no seat is guaranteed. This is F1, so he wants to learn tracks and tyres and show that respect to European open-wheel racing.

“The entitlement model from the US hasn’t worked out that well in the past, so we really want to build that body of work, the knowledge that’s necessary, to see if he has what it takes to drive in Formula 1.

“He really is a special talent,” added Towriss. “I think a lot of people look at some of the results in IndyCar and say, ‘Well, he hasn’t won a championship, he’s not with [multiple champion] Alex Palou’.

“I think as a team owner I would take some responsibility for that; there have been times where there have been troubles on pitlane or strategy didn’t work out, but Colton’s an immense talent and he really can find speed where others can’t.

“I think any time he’s had a chance to do a test, whether it was with McLaren, or time that he’s been in the sim with Alpine, Red Bull and Sauber, from that standpoint he really has excelled and shown really high potential and promise for an F1 seat.

“Now this is the chance to do it. He’s had to choose this path of taking a big risk to not have that guarantee of the seat. He’s leaving behind what at this point is very comfortable for him, to choose something that’s uncomfortable for him – but no risk, no reward, as they say.”