Formula 1 may have missed an unexpected move in the driver market in recent years. Cadillac’s CEO in the category, Dan Towriss, revealed that Colton Herta even received an offer from Red Bull, but ended up being convinced to follow another path before signing with the Austrian team.
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The revelation was made during Towriss’s participation in the F1 Beyond The Grid podcast. According to the executive, the negotiation was so advanced that the American driver even returned home with a contract from the Milton Keynes team ready to be signed.
Colton Herta built his career mainly in IndyCar, where he gained prominence competing for Andretti Autosport. The team has a direct link with Towriss, which ended up facilitating the approach between the driver and the structure that is now part of Cadillac’s Formula 1 project.
Despite this connection, Towriss explained that keeping Herta linked to the project was not simple. The executive revealed that other Formula 1 teams also showed interest in the driver’s performance after tests and evaluations carried out in recent years.
One of the moments that drew attention occurred when Cadillac was still evaluating the possibility of acquiring Sauber. At the time, Herta was sent to the team’s factory in Hinwil to perform simulator activities. According to Towriss, the performance impressed quickly.
“In about an hour and a half he was already faster than the regular Formula 1 drivers who were there,” the executive stated. The performance opened new doors and caused other teams to start observing the American driver more closely.
Subsequently, Herta also participated in tests with McLaren. The report produced after these sessions was described as extremely positive, reinforcing the impression that the driver had great potential to compete in Formula 1.
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Towriss explained that the scenario ended up changing after Oscar Piastri’s departure from Alpine to McLaren, which caused an internal reorganization in some teams. In this context, Herta had new opportunities to test and impressed once again.
“He did very well in those sessions and literally went home with a Red Bull contract to sign,” Towriss said. According to the executive, convincing the driver not to accept the proposal took time.
“It probably took me a month to convince Colton and his representatives not to sign that contract and to stay with us,” added the Cadillac CEO.
Currently, Herta is part of the Cadillac project in Formula 1 as a test driver. At the same time, he is also competing in the Formula 2 season while seeking to consolidate his path toward a permanent seat on the category’s grid.
For Towriss, the driver’s track record clearly demonstrates his potential. “There is a set of results and evaluations that show how much Colton has the ability and aptitude for Formula 1,” the executive stated.
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