Driving for Hitech TGR, Herta’s debut began on Wednesday morning with a 1:39.792 and 32 laps as he worked through initial familiarisation runs. He built on that foundation in the afternoon, adding 51 laps and improving to a 1:39.416.
Thursday featured a broader mix of run plans across the field, with Herta adding another 36 laps in the morning and lowering his best time to a 1:38.115.
He closed out the afternoon with 53 further laps, posting a 1:42.263 as Hitech shifted back to long-run, heavy-fuel work to assess tyre behaviour and balance evolution.
After stepping out of the car on Day 1, Herta said the focus remained firmly on acclimatisation rather than headline pace.
“It was all about getting comfortable, and I am still pretty far from being super comfortable in the car,” he said.
“It’s good first steps, it’s such an important three days for us, it’s important to maximise everything that we do here.
“It’s fun to be here, fun to be in a car in the offseason, and I am looking forward to the next two days.”
Across the opening two days, Herta completed 172 laps, placing him among the busiest drivers in the field.
His best time ranked 15th overall, just over a second off the benchmark set by MP Motorsport’s Oliver Goethe and four tenths quicker than newly announced Hitech teammate Ritomo Miyata.
The American will return to the track on Friday for the final day of running at Yas Marina.
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