Colton Herta stated that his first Formula 1 Grand Prix weekend session in Cadillac colors held great significance for him, openly expressing his admiration for the speed of a current generation F1 car. The American driver, who took over the wheel from Sergio Perez in the first free practice session in Barcelona on Friday, considers this experience a turning point in his career.
As part of the rookie requirement, in Barcelona
According to F1 technical regulations, teams are required to allocate a total of four free practice sessions to rookies throughout the season, two per car. Cadillac is reportedly planning to dedicate all four sessions to Herta. FP1 in Barcelona was the first step in this plan and served as Herta's first test in an official F1 weekend setting.
‘'Faster than anything I've ever experienced'’
In her post-session assessment, Herta emphasized that every component of the car felt significantly faster than any of the race cars she had driven before. The American driver, who is gaining experience in IndyCar, added that racing for Cadillac held special meaning for her. F1 Spanish GP 2026 weekend schedule This training session, conducted within this framework, signals that the team will give Herta similar opportunities in the upcoming sessions as well.
Cadillac, having officially joined F1 last year, is one of the new American-based teams participating in this season's competition. The team appears to be pursuing a strategy of effectively utilizing rookie sessions to develop its young and talented driver lineup, with Herta being a key player in this process.