Herta drives for Andretti in IndyCar, the same organisation that underpins the Cadillac-branded F1 entry poised to join the grid next season.

The 24-year-old has been flagged as an obvious candidate for the new team given its ambition to represent the United States in the European-dominated championship.

It’s not the first time Herta has been linked with a switch to F1.

Red Bull attempted to sign the American to its AlphaTauri operation (now Racing Bulls) in place of Pierre Gasly for 2022 but the move failed to happen after Herta failed to meet the FIA Super Licence threshold, and was denied a dispensation.

“It’s a shame that people don’t realise what value an American driver, especially a guy like Colton Herta, would have for the booming American market, especially with three F1 races,” Red Bull’s Dr Helmut Marko said at the time.

With renewed interest in Formula 1 in the United States, and the emerging Cadillac project, Herta’s name has again been mentioned, alongside the likes of Valtteri Bottas or Sergio Perez.

“I’ve kind of been dragged around in this talk for, it feels like, half a decade now,” Herta said of suggestions he could join Cadillac in F1 next season.

“I’ve had the carrot in front of me for a while.”

The 24-year-old was runner-up in last year’s IndyCar Series to Alex Palou, a result that brings with it 30 Super Licence points.

That leaves him on 32 points, given a point each for his 10th-place finishes in the 2023 and 2022 series, and means he is now eligible for an FIA Super Licence – the threshold is 25 points over the previous three years.

Despite that and the apparent interest in his services, Herta suggested he is weary of a move to F1.

“I’m kind of tired of that being the case, and I just want to drive at this point and focus on IndyCar this year and focus on winning a championship, and if something arises out of that, I’d have to think about it,” Herta added on his F1 opportunity.

“It’s still not a for sure thing.

“All my friends and family are here in the US, and I don’t know anybody where I’m going, so it’s a big decision to make if I have to make that decision.”

While a public statement revealing there is mutual interest in working towards Cadillac entering F1 in 2026, it still does not have a formal place on the grid.

Work on that front remains ongoing behind the scenes with hopes that it will be resolved quickly to offer the operation a degree of assurance over its continued investment.

That remains unabated, with the concession that it is now adhering to F1’s financial regulations as a pre-requisite to a potential 2026 berth.