NTT INDYCAR SERIES race winner Colton Herta will compete in FIA Formula 2 – the final step before Formula One – in 2026 with Hitech Racing, the Cadillac Formula 1 Team confirmed Oct. 21.

Herta, who has nine NTT INDYCAR SERIES victories since his debut in 2018, will drive in the 28-race series that stages a sprint race and a feature race on the same race weekends and circuits as F1. He was announced Sept. 3 as a test driver for Cadillac Formula 1, which makes its debut in 2026.

“I’m incredibly excited to officially be joining F2 for the 2026 Formula 2 season,” Herta said. “This is an amazing opportunity to develop my skills in European racing and to measure myself against some of the best young drivers in the world.

“Racing on the same weekends as Formula One will give me first-hand experience of that environment and help me grow as part of the Cadillac F1 family. I’m very grateful to Cadillac and Hitech for their trust and support, and I can’t wait to get started.”

Hitech is in the running for driver and team championships in this F2 season, which has two rounds remaining. Hitech driver Luke Browning is third in the standings, 27 points behind leader Leonardo Fornaroli. The team is 12 points behind leader Invicta in the teams’ standings.

The first F2 event weekend of the 2026 season is March 7-8 in Melbourne, Australia.

This new role is a return to European racing for Herta. He made his European racing debut in 2015. Over a two-year period, he secured four victories, six podium finishes and five pole positions in the Euroformula Open Championship and went on to compete in six British F3 events, earning three podium finishes – including a victory at Brands Hatch – before returning to America in 2017.