“We needed this so bad”: When Colton Herta broke his IndyCar winless streak in Toronto on his 41st attempt

Andretti Global driver Colton Herta once spoke about his race at Toronto. The American driver had won the Toronto Indy in 2024.

The 25-year-old drives the #26 Andretti Global car powered by Honda. During the 2024 Toronto Grand Prix, he started the race from pole position and went on to win. He put up a dominant performance throughout the race, leading 81 out of the 85-lap race.

In the post-race media interaction, he had spoken about his feelings. He said (via Total Motorsports):

“We needed this so bad. We’ve been competitive all year, but we just haven’t been able to get the final result. It was a big day.”

“We’ve been knocking on the door to win for so long. Forty-one starts without a win is a long time, and it’s been disappointing for us. We are a team that demands perfection. I’m so happy. The Gainbridge Honda was incredibly fast,” he added.

Colton Herta finished the race 0.3469 seconds ahead of his teammate Kyle Kirkwood, marking the first Andretti Global 1-2 after their rebranding in 2023. With this win, he also ended his 40-race winless streak and marked his eighth career win in IndyCar. Herta showed outstanding dominance throughout the sessions, recording the fastest laps in all three practice sessions.

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Colton Herta opens up about his slump amid teammate Kyle Kirkwood's fantastic performance

Andretti Global driver Colton Herta recently spoke about his performance so far this season. The California native had a fantastic 2024 season, finishing runner-up in the drivers' championship with 513 points. However, this season has been entirely different, as he is placed ninth with 244 points.

Notably, his teammate Kyle Kirkwood has had a spectacular season so far, winning three races and challenging the championship leader, Alex Palou.

While talking to the media before the race at XPEL Grand Prix at Road America, Herta spoke about his slump in the season so far and Kyle Kirkwood's wins. He said (via Bob Pockrass on X):

"Yeah, I mean it's unfortunate for us, but if it's not me that is winning, you want a teammate to win. You want somebody to take points out of Palou, which is the main thing. It's good to know that the team is winning, and that makes everybody happy and excited around the shop. But for me, you know, I need to start winning."

Colton Herta was in contention to win the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix held on June 1, as he had qualified in pole position. However, after the first pit-stop cycle, Arrow McLaren's Nolan Siegel dive-bombed into the side of Herta's #26 car and destabilized his race. This allowed his teammate to take the lead in the race and eventually clinch victory.