Colton Herta to Drive Cadillac in Austin FP1 as Pérez Steps Aside
Cadillac will put Colton Herta in Sergio Pérez’s car for Friday’s opening Austin practice session. It is a planned rookie-driver appearance, not a change to the Grand Prix race line-up.
Published October 20, 2026 · Preview only · FP1 scheduled Friday, October 23 at 12:30 PM CDT
Race-lineup clarification: Herta is taking part in one practice session. Sergio Pérez is expected to return for FP2, and this announcement does not change Cadillac’s Sunday race lineup.
What Cadillac has announced
Colton Herta is scheduled to take over Sergio Pérez’s Cadillac MAC-26 for the first free-practice session of the 2026 United States Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas. The team’s announcement, reported October 20, places Herta in the car on Friday, October 23. Pérez is expected back in the cockpit for FP2. Cadillac’s regular race drivers remain Pérez and Valtteri Bottas.
Why Austin matters to Herta
The venue is a homecoming for the American driver. Herta won his first IndyCar race at Circuit of The Americas in 2019, a breakthrough that made him the youngest winner in IndyCar history at the time. That race is a meaningful connection to the venue, but the demands of an F1 practice session are different from an IndyCar event.
Fourth scheduled F1 practice appearance
Austin follows Herta’s earlier Friday outings for Cadillac at Barcelona, the Hungaroring and Monza. Formula 1 confirmed the team’s four-session plan earlier in the season. This session contributes to Herta’s development and Cadillac’s practice objectives; it does not represent confirmation of a future full-time Formula 1 seat.
What Cadillac needs from the session
FP1 offers a single hour for Herta to reacquaint himself with the MAC-26 and help the engineers assess its balance, driveability and operating window. COTA combines fast changes of direction, a steep braking zone into Turn 1, and a long straight leading into Turn 12. Clean laps, consistent driver feedback and trouble-free running are more meaningful evaluation criteria than a headline position on an early timing sheet.
The cost of a rookie-driver swap
The team must split its weekend preparation across two drivers sharing a car. Herta’s run can supply useful information, but Pérez will have only FP2 on Friday in his own car. Work completed before the first practice, a reliable session and clear handover notes will matter, particularly on a conventional weekend with three practice periods before qualifying.
United States Grand Prix timetable
The official Formula 1 event schedule lists Friday FP1 at 12:30 PM Austin local time (CDT) and FP2 at 4:00 PM on October 23. FP3 begins at 12:30 PM Saturday, with qualifying at 4:00 PM. The 56-lap Grand Prix starts at 3:00 PM Sunday, October 25. All times are subject to subsequent official changes.
What to watch when Herta runs
Monitor the number of completed laps, whether the session includes a meaningful clean-air run, how steadily the car behaves through the Esses and Turn 12 braking zone, and any mechanical interruptions. Comparing Herta’s single-session lap to the full-time drivers without correcting for tyres, fuel, traffic and programme differences would be misleading.
Paddock Command assessment
Herta’s Austin appearance is a distinct local-interest development within an already busy title weekend. It adds an American-driver narrative to Cadillac’s home race and provides useful development mileage. The FP1 story should be updated after Friday with the official classification and any confirmed team comments; no competitive result should be presented before the session takes place.
Continue Austin coverage
Verification sources
- F1: Herta scheduled for four 2026 Cadillac FP1 sessions
- GRANDE PRÊMIO: Cadillac confirms Herta for Austin FP1
- F1: Official United States Grand Prix weekend schedule
Editorial cutoff: October 20, 2026, before the first Austin practice. Update on October 23 with official FP1 results and confirmed team statements.