Photo: Cadillac F1 Team
Formula 2 CEO Bruno Michel is “grateful” that Colton Herta opted to race in Formula 2 ahead of a potential move to Formula 1.
Having finished sixth in last year’s IndyCar season, Herta opted to switch to European-based single-seaters amid swirling rumours of a future seat with Cadillac’s F1 team.
Herta’s presence has opened a new audience up to F2, with the series now increasingly more popular in North America, something Michel can only thank Herta for influencing.
“Colton is very big in America and a very successful driver in America,” Michel told Formula Scout. “He has won many races and has got many good results in the Indy championship, so I’m quite grateful he decided to come.”
Herta’s debut campaign ultimately coincided with F2 heading to North America for the first time in its history following the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabia rounds.
Races in Miami and Montreal brought increased exposure for F2 on the continent, and featured strong support in the grandstands for home hero Herta.
“I had a discussion with Montreal before 2026,” revealed Michel on the decision to replace Bahrain and Saudi with trips to America.
“I thought if we were going to America it wouldn’t cost anything more to go to Miami, so I discussed with them and we found a solution. It was a fantastic success.”
The typical eventful nature of the F2 races left a strong impression on local fans, something Michel said he never doubted would happen.
“People that have never been exposed to F2 just go ‘wow’ when they see a race, so I was not too worried about that.
“On the other hand, I must say, the interaction with the fans in both venues was absolutely fantastic. It was very enjoyable, everybody loved it because they love their racing.”
With Herta’s presence helping grow the series’ image, the possibility of a return to North America is strong.
“Going to America is one thing that we wanted to do. It’s something that we will continue to do, whether it is next year or the year after. America is a great market for us and at the moment we have never been there and that’s why we have so little drivers in F2 coming from America,” said Michel.
“The other direction [F2 to the IndyCar and Indy NXT] is working quite well and they’re very successful there, but going in the other direction it’s never really worked.
“Colton is really the first big American name we have in F2 and that’s something that I really want to encourage and if we want to encourage that, then we’ve got to be more visible in America.”
Having been signed as the Cadillac test driver for 2026, Herta’s F2 stint is seen as a crucial step for him to be able to graduate to F1.
Michel acknowledged the lessons F2 can provide the 26-year-old. “I know Cadillac also wanted him [to race in F2] to be sure he was getting prepared. They know that we were doing the proper job for that.”
Herta currently sits 17th in the F2 standings after a challenging start to his maiden campaign.
“It’s difficult,” Michel said. “He’s coming into a very different environment and it’s a very courageous decision on his side.
“He’s a very talented driver and I have zero doubt about that, but coming into the F2 system directly without having been in Formula 3 before, without having been in the pyramid and arriving on a F1 race weekend on tracks he doesn’t know, it’s a big job.
“I’m quite confident that little by little in the season he is going to get better and better.”