Oscar Piastri warns Colton Herta about a "lot of limits" in new Cadillac F1 test role

The 2024 IndyCar runner-up Colton Herta was announced as Cadillac F1's test driver for the 2026 season as the American team prepares to make its debut in the pinnacle of motorsports. As Herta moved away from IndyCar and joined F1, 2025 championship leader Oscar Piastri came out and warned the former Andretti Global driver about the F1 testing limits.

As the Formula One Management and FIA approved Cadillac’s entry, Colton Herta's name popped up as a possible signing for the American team. However, the same died down as the 2025 season progressed, with Herta linked to an F2 seat towards the end of the season.

As the 2025 IndyCar season ended, Andretti Global confirmed that Herta won't be racing in IndyCar next year and has joined Cadillac F1. TWG Motorsports CEO Dan Towriss came out and confirmed that the former IndyCar driver will also be racing in F2, along with the F1 reserve role.

AUTO: JUN 23 NTT IndyCar Series Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey - Source: Getty

Oscar Piastri, who won the 2021 F2 championship in his rookie year and served as Alpine's test driver for 2022, came out and detailed the possible challenges that Colton Herta could face as the test driver, and how it wouldn't be representative of his actual F1 pace.

“Getting up to speed in an F1 car (with testing) is an important thing, too, though that testing has a limit to its uses. The tires are not representative. You’re often doing it in winter at times when the tracks are not rubbered in, and there’s no other cars around and the car’s old,” said Oscar Piastri (via Racer)

“There’s certainly a lot of limits to it, but certainly getting up to speed in an F1 car and just getting your brain used to all the different things you can change and the speed at which things happen,” added the McLaren driver.

The F1 testing only allows cars at least two years older than the current cars to be used for free testing. With F1 introducing new regulations for 2026, Colton Herta will only be driving the 2024 or older cars in the testing, and will only get the chance to drive the new generation F1 car during FP1 sessions.

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Oscar Piastri on Colton Herta adjusted to a different “situation” as he moved from IndyCar to F1

While both F1 and IndyCar are open-wheel racing series, the scale at which both series operate is day and night different. The PR and marketing responsibilities, hectic travel schedule, and the sheer scale of an F1 weekend are different from IndyCar. Oscar Piastri detailed how it would take Colton Herta getting used to these aspects, as he said,

“Being on an F1 weekend and racing alongside F1 (in F2), that’s an important thing. (Herta’s) situation is a little bit different, because he’s obviously the Cadillac test driver already, so it’s not so much about getting yourself in front of the paddock, but I think definitely being around an F1 weekend feels quite different (on the racing side) compared to what I did before I was at an F1 weekend. So that’s definitely important.”

The F2 role for Colton Herta is also crucial, as he needs to finish P8 or higher in the standings to get enough points for a superlicence.