Colton Herta’s 2026 season goes from bad to worse – two offs, one breakdown at Monza

Colton Herta's Formula 2 season has taken a turn for the worse, exemplified by his performance during the recent Monza weekend. Herta, an Indianapolis 500 former star, joined the Cadillac Formula 1 team as a test and development driver for the 2026 season. Despite F2 being a significant challenge due to lack of experience with Pirelli tires and unfamiliarity with the tracks, Herta finds himself 17th in the standings after 10 rounds.

Notably, his best qualifying position was 12th, but Monza was a particular low point, with Herta finishing 20th, over a second behind the pace.

The issues didn't end there. During practice, Herta made contact with the gravel at Lesmo 2, sending two wheels airborne and crashing into the inside wall. Later, at Formula 1 pre-qualifying, Herta's Cadillac MAC-26 car experienced a breakdown after just one push lap, suspected to be due to a hydraulic issue. This additional setback compounded Herta's already tough day.

Reflecting on his experience, Herta acknowledged the nuances each car possesses, saying, "All these cars have tiny differences that make them click. I'm driving and trying to find that, so having a bit more knowledge about what the car wants, or what the car needs, how it wants to be driven, makes me feel more comfortable."

At the sprint race, Herta improved to 15th place, but his feature race ended prematurely on lap 11 due to an accident in the gravel at the Parabolica exit, leaving him 21st. Consequently, Herta now holds 26 points in the standings, having secured only one top 12 finish in the past ten races. With 151 points behind championship leader Nikola Tsolov and only 156 points available in the remaining four races, Herta's title hopes are almost mathematically impossible.

Herta expressed his desire to join Formula 1 as soon as possible, but realistically, a 2027 F1 drive appears unlikely at this stage.