Colton Herta hit with major setback for speeding during Indy 500

The ongoing 2025 Indy 500 is over 100 laps down, and Colton Herta had a dicey moment at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. As he came in, he was caught speeding on pit road.

As a consequence, Herta has a pass-through penalty hanging over his head. The renowned motorsport reporter Bob Pockrass shared the news of Herta's penalty on X.

Bob Pockrass

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Herta pass-through for speeding on pit road.

Colton Herta started the ongoing 200-lap Indianapolis race from way down in P29. The 25-year-old did not have the best of qualifying. As a consequence, he had to start the race from the south end of the 33-car field.

The 2024 edition of the Indy 500 was also not a memorable one for him. Despite his best efforts in his Andretti Global car, he was only able to manage a disappointing P23 finish behind Agustin Canapino (P22) and Kyffin Simpson (P21), and the four-time Indy 500 winner, Helio Castroneves (P20).

Herta managed to complete only 170 laps out of the 200 because of an on-track incident.

Cadillac's take on Colton Herta's potential F1 entry for 2026

While Colton Herta's chances of doing something special at the 2025 Indy 500 look slim, he has been a constant in the rumors surrounding Cadillac's 2026 F1 entry.

Herta is seen by many as one of the options for Cadillac to fill one of its two available seats. Amid all the noise surrounding the 25-year-old's F1 hopes, the Cadillac F1 boss, Graeme Lowdon, took the time to talk about him back in March.

In line with this, Lowdon stressed that the Andretti Global IndyCar driver does not have the required number of super license points to make him eligible for F1.

"With regards to Colton, he doesn't have the required number of super licence points, and if that were to remain the case, then that is clearly an impediment for him. We can't choose a driver that doesn't have the points, that is just the real world we live in and we have to take that into account. Does his lack of being at the threshold for the super licence in any way affect his ability to drive a race car? No, he is an incredibly talented driver," Lowdon said via Racingnews365.

Colton Herta, in a short period of time, has become one of the top names in the world of IndyCar. Despite not having the required number of super license points, he could make up the gap in the remainder of the 2025 IndyCar season.

In order for this to happen, Herta would be required to put in consistent performances from the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix onwards. Ahead of the Indy 500, he was in ninth place in the 2025 drivers' championship.