SPEEDWAY, Ind. — Colton Herta blames four things on his not winning an IndyCar championship a year ago.
“Crash at Indy, crash in Detroit, missing the yellow in Iowa race 2 when Alex crashed, and the right front coming off in Milwaukee,” he said. “If one of those races goes differently from the position that I’m running in, we really had a chance at being a champion.”
While celebrating his first win on an oval at Nashville last year, Herta had to watch Alex Palou win his third championship in four years at the same time. It’s a feeling that Herta found to be unique in accomplishing the ever-elusive oval victory he’d been lacking, while also knowing he came up short in the title chase.
Herta has finished in th top five of the championship race in three of his now seven NTT IndyCar Series seasons. Entering his eighth, Herta has put it simply and concisely: championship or bust.
“I’m not happy — it really sucks to finish second,” Herta said. “As nice as it is for that being my highest place, yeah, it really sucks to be that close and not do it.”
Herta’s team, Andretti Global, is under new leadership this season. Drew Towriss, who is the CEO of the parent company of Gainbridge, has taken control of the team with Michael Andretti’s decision to step back during this off-season.
Soon affter that happened Formula One approved General Motors’ bid to join the series as a new constructor with it’s Cadillac brand. The Cadillac F1 team had been the baby of Andretti Global for the better part of the last two years. Now the bid, on th surface, appears to be washed of the Andretti name.
Even so, now that it’s a done deal for the coming years, Herta has been a popular name thrown around to be an American driver for the America team. It’s something he’s been connected to by the press, fans, and pundits alike since the bid was first put together by Andretti.
However, Herta says he’s grown weary of the al the talk surrounding him and a possible move to Formula One.
“I’ve had the carrot in front of me for a while. I’m kind of tired of that being the case,” Herta said. “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.”
Herta would need to finish at least fourth in the IndyCar championship standings this coming season in order to have aquired enough points for a superlicense, which is what is required by the FIA to race in Formula One.
“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 Indy cars,” Herta jokingly said. “I’ll be all right either way.”
Despite the changes deep within the team this off-season, Andretti Global emits some stability amongst its drivers entering the 2025 season. Anchored by Herta, the team also brings back Kyle Kirkwood and Marcus Ericsson for full-time rides. Marco Andretti will join the team for another one-off appearance in May for the Indianapolis 500.