McLaren Racing officials announced Saturday that IndyCar driver Colton Herta will take part in a Formula 1 test with the organization this year.
The test will be part of McLaren’s 2021 MCL35M car testing program.
The opportunity for Herta, 21, comes with the new Formula 1 regulation which allows teams to test one-year-old cars under the Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) provision. The McLaren F1 TPC program provides an opportunity for the team to test potential drivers and evaluate young talent for the future.
“Colton is a proven talent in IndyCar and we will be interested to see how he adapts to a Formula 1 car,” Andreas Seidl, Team Principal for McLaren F1, said in a team release. “We believe this testing programme will provide him with valuable experience while demonstrating the benefit of expanding previous car testing to showcase promising drivers for the future.”
The son of former IndyCar driver Bryan Herta, the younger Herta has six IndyCar wins and seven poles on his record. He is currently fourth in the IndyCar standings after once race in the 2022 season.
“I want to thank McLaren for the opportunity to get my first laps in a Formula 1 car, which has always been on my racing bucket list,” Herta said in a team release. “This will be a great opportunity for me to gain some valuable experience in a new form of motorsport and learn from such an established team like McLaren F1.”