Cadillac F1 Team announced a targeted FP1 program that will give Colton Herta four Free Practice 1 appearances during the 2026 season as part of his role as the team’s designated rookie and Test Driver. His first outing in current F1 machinery is scheduled for the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix on June 12, with three further FP1 appearances to be confirmed. Cadillac said the sessions will satisfy the mandatory rookie quota and described the initiative as balancing on-track exposure with integration into the team environment, a point reinforced by CEO Dan Towriss and team principal Graeme Lowdon.

Lowdon pointed to Herta’s NTT IndyCar Series record and his strong start to Formula 2 as the rationale for the FP1 opportunities, and Towriss said the runs will aid Herta’s development both on and off track and help him learn Grand Prix operations. Herta, 26, said he “can’t wait to get behind the wheel,” that he was eager to learn from every appearance, and that he hopes to support the team and teammates “Checo and Valtteri.” Cadillac has already completed a seat fitting with Herta and run him in simulators at its Charlotte headquarters as part of his preparation.

Herta is combining the FP1 program with a rookie Formula 2 campaign after switching from IndyCar, where he is a nine-time race winner and finished runner-up in the 2024 championship. He races for Hitech in F2, placed seventh in the Australia feature on his series debut and sat 10th in the F2 Drivers’ Championship after the opening weekend as the series heads to Round 2 in Miami. Cadillac said the FP1 outings will accelerate Herta’s acclimatization to Formula 1 race weekends while formalizing a pathway for his development within the Silverstone-based outfit.