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Colton Herta certainly sounds exhausted being linked to Formula 1 and the perennial “carrot” being dangled in front of him.
Herta has been positioned as the likeliest IndyCar driver to make the switch to F1 since the start of the decade - and back in 2022 his current Andretti team made it clear Herta would be its first choice if it ever got an F1 entry.
Then he was linked to Red Bull's second team, then called AlphaTauri, which ultimately came to nothing because he wasn't granted a superlicence - ineligible on superlicence points and not granted a dispensation.
Finally, his name has been thrust forward once more as the Andretti-established, now Cadillac-led programme pushes full-steam ahead towards a likely 2026 entry.
Speaking during IndyCar’s regular media day where all the drivers are available, 2024 IndyCar runner-up Herta was asked multiple times about a potential F1 drive.
On needing fourth in the championship to guarantee an F1 superlicence, and if that brought extra pressure this season, he was polite and amenable but just looked tired at the thought of answering questions on the topic.
“I guess the answer to that is I didn't even know what the math was to get a superlicense,” Herta replied.
“If it happens, it happens, great, and then I'll have a decision to make, if I'm still wanted. If it doesn't happen, then poor me, I'm stuck racing IndyCars.
"I'll be alright either way.”
Cadillac hasn't publicly addressed Herta's F1 credentials since Michael Andretti - the person who rates Herta highly and has backed him more than anyone - stepped down from leading the project. Michael's father, Mario, is a director on the project and has continued to publicly float Herta as a prime candidate.
There are options for Cadillac to try and expedite Herta's superlicence approval, like doing deals for FP1 running with other teams - which Herta could do on weekends where there are no F1 clashes or for the eight F1 races after the IndyCar season finishes in late August.
Herta turns 25 in March, so - even assuming a 2026 debut - would be entering F1 as an older-than-usual rookie.
“I don't really have a concern with it at all,” said Herta about that.
“I’ve kind of been dragged around in this talk for, it feels like, half a decade now. I've had the carrot in front of me for a while.
“I’m kind of tired of that being the case, and I just want to drive at this point and focus on IndyCar this year and focus on winning a championship, and if something arises out of that, I'd have to think about it.
“It's still not a 'for sure' thing. All my friends and family are here in the US, and I don't know anybody where I'm [would be] going, so it's a big decision to make - if I have to make that decision.”
How Kirkwood sees it
Kyle Kirkwood, who won two races and finished ahead of Herta in his first Andretti season in 2023, before finishing seventh last year, was also asked about the prospect of F1. His stance hasn't changed much from previous years.
"Of course it would be of interest," he said.
"But at the same time, I love what I do here in IndyCar. It's what I always aspired to be - an IndyCar driver. It keeps me in the US, it keeps me at the place where I grew up.
"I was born and raised in Jupiter, Florida and I still live in Jupiter, Florida - and I love that about IndyCar, it keeps Americans at home at least.
"It's give and take in either direction. Of course I'm interested, but I wouldn't be upset if I wasn't given the opportunity, if you understand."
'It really sucks to finish second'
Despite being only 24, Herta will make his 100th IndyCar start in the St Petersburg season opener.
He’s clearly still disappointed at finishing second in the championship last year, and distilled his analysis handily down to a handful of events he felt changed his fate.
“There was four things last year. Crash at Indy, crash in Detroit, missing the yellow in Iowa when Alex crashed [Herta was in the pits when it happened so it ruined his strategy as others got a free pitstop], and the right front [wheel] coming off in Milwaukee. Those are the big things that we're kind of looking at.
“Two of those are my problem and two of those are the team, so we're trying to right that wrong, and that's something that we kind of picked out - as if one of those races goes differently from the position that I'm running in, we really had a chance at being a champion.”
Asked if it was championship or bust this year, he replied: “It's always like that, yeah. I'm not happy…it really sucks to finish second. As nice as it is for that being my highest place, yeah, it really sucks to be that close and not do it.
“It is always kind of ‘you need to get that championship’, and this year is no different. That's what we're working for.”
The Shank exit
It's been a period of change for the Andretti team as Michael Andretti has stepped back into an advisor role, while partner outfit Meyer Shank has signed a new technical partnership deal with Chip Ganassi instead.
While Shank received parts and engineering support from Andretti, the latter still benefitted, too, through having the data of two extra cars on track and having Shank's drivers in engineering debriefs, so there's a line of information disappearing there.
However, it does mean Andretti has been able to recall some staff working at Shank.
"Obviously it was really nice having [Shank drivers] Felix [Rosenqvist], David [Malukas] and Tom [Blomqvist] last year. I think they provided some great data for me to look at to make myself better, so that was a positive thing that we lose," said Herta.
"But overall going into this year, I think it changes nothing for us set-up-wise. I think we provided a lot of that. As far as that goes, I think we'll be fine without them for that side of things.
"But more just for the drivers' side it was nice having that data, but it's also something that my team-mates are very competent in the car can provide to me, too, and it's a group I really like working with.
"I'm not just saying that because Marcus [Ericsson] is in the back of the room here. He was a great team-mate, and so was Kyle."
