It’s Risky: Dennis Hauger Challenges Colton Herta to Realise His Childhood F1 Dream Will Face When Moving from IndyCar to the World of F1

In the high-stakes world of open-wheel racing, where dreams collide with harsh realities, Colton Herta stands at a crossroads that could redefine his career. The 25-year-old American sensation, a nine-time winner in the NTT IndyCar Series, has long harbored ambitions of conquering Formula 1. But as he embarks on a bold pivot—trading the familiar ovals and street circuits of IndyCar for the unforgiving junior ladders of Europe—the words of a fellow rising star serve as a stark reminder: this path is fraught with peril. Dennis Hauger, the 22-year-old Norwegian prodigy and newly crowned Indy NXT champion, has openly challenged Herta to confront the brutal challenges ahead. “It’s risky,” Hauger said in a recent interview, his tone a mix of empathy and tough love. “Colton has the talent, but stepping into F1’s ecosystem means facing demons you don’t see in IndyCar. He needs to prove he can handle the grind.”

Herta’s journey to this moment has been nothing short of meteoric. Born in SoCal and raised in a racing dynasty—his father, Bryan, a former IndyCar driver—Colton burst onto the scene as a teenager. At just 18, he etched his name into history books by becoming the youngest winner in IndyCar, storming to victory at the 2019 IndyCar Classic at Circuit of the Americas. Over seven full seasons with Andretti Global, he amassed 116 starts, 16 pole positions, and a legion of fans drawn to his fearless overtaking and unyielding speed. His triumphs extended beyond IndyCar, too: class wins at the Rolex 24 at Daytona in 2019 and 2022, and an outright victory at the 12 Hours of Sebring in 2024 in IMSA. Yet, beneath the accolades lurked a persistent frustration. Herta’s dream wasn’t confined to the American series; it was Formula 1, the pinnacle where childhood posters of Michael Schumacher adorned his walls.

The FIA’s super license system, however, proved an insurmountable barrier. Despite his IndyCar prowess, the governing body awards precious few points for races outside its European feeder pyramid. Herta entered the 2025 season needing a top-four championship finish to hit the 40-point threshold—ending up second wasn’t enough, leaving him three points shy. Whispers of a direct FIA waiver, as granted to others like Theo Pourchaire, fell on deaf ears. “I’ve been fighting this fight for years,” Herta admitted on the Off Track podcast last month. “It’s not about entitlement; it’s about opportunity.” Enter Cadillac’s audacious F1 project. The American powerhouse, set to join the grid in 2026 with veterans Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez as its race drivers, saw Herta’s raw potential. On September 3, 2025, the team announced him as its inaugural test driver, a role that buys time while he chases the elusive license.

But the real gamble unfolded days later: Herta’s commitment to Formula 2 for 2026, a series typically reserved for drivers half his age. Backed by TWG Motorsports—Andretti’s parent company—and Cadillac, he’ll slot into a yet-to-be-confirmed seat, likely with a midfield squad hungry for funding. At 26 by season’s start, Herta will be the grid’s elder statesman, facing off against precocious talents like Kimi Antonelli and Ollie Bearman, who’ve been groomed in the FIA’s ranks since karting. “The easy thing would be to stay in IndyCar,” Herta confessed, echoing his boss Dan Towriss’s sentiments. Towriss, Cadillac’s CEO, praised the move as “unconventional courage,” but didn’t sugarcoat it: “He’s not guaranteed a seat. He has to earn it by being uncomfortable.”

It’s here that Dennis Hauger enters the fray, not as a rival, but as a cautionary voice from the trenches. Hauger, once Red Bull’s golden boy in F2, knows the European ladder intimately. After dominating Formula 3 in 2021, he stumbled in F2—mechanical woes, inconsistent form, and the cutthroat politics of junior series left him winless in 2022. Dropped by the energy drink giant, he pivoted to Indy NXT with Andretti in 2024, clinching the title this year with surgical precision on ovals like Laguna Seca and Iowa. Now, as Herta’s heir apparent in Andretti’s IndyCar lineup—poised to take the No. 26 seat in 2026—Hauger has watched his compatriot’s leapfrog with a mix of admiration and realism. “I’ve been there,” Hauger told RACER magazine last week, his words carrying the weight of hard-earned scars. “F2 isn’t just faster cars; it’s a different beast. The tracks are tighter, the tires degrade like nothing in IndyCar, and one bad weekend can bury your points haul. Colton talks about his childhood dream, but dreams don’t pay the bills when you’re starting from the back.”

Hauger’s challenge isn’t personal—it’s pragmatic. He recalls his own F2 baptism: qualifying on the front row at Silverstone only to spin out under pressure, a mistake born of unfamiliar downforce and sprint-race intensity. For Herta, accustomed to IndyCar’s standardized Dallara chassis and high-line bravery on 2.5-mile ovals, the shift to F2’s Dallara-F2 hybrids will demand relearning everything. Aerodynamics that punish the slightest error, DRS zones that reward split-second timing, and a calendar stacked with historic circuits like Monaco and Spa—places where Herta’s lone F1 test miles in a Sauber back in 2022 feel like ancient history. “He’s got speed, no doubt,” Hauger continued. “But IndyCar lets you muscle through mistakes. F1 feeders? They expose you. If he finishes outside the top six, those super license points vanish, and suddenly you’re a 27-year-old F2 journeyman. Realise that now, Colton, or it realises you.”

The paddock buzzes with speculation. Will Power, the grizzled Penske veteran, eyes Andretti’s vacancy as a swan-song upgrade, while Hauger’s NXT crown positions him as the seamless successor. Herta, meanwhile, exudes quiet determination. “I’ve tested F1 cars; I know the grip is insane,” he said post-announcement. “But Dennis is right—it’s risky. That’s why I’m doing it.” Cadillac’s Graeme Lowdon, the team principal, envisions Herta’s maturity as an asset: “His IndyCar racecraft brings fresh insight to our young squad.” Yet, as Herta packs for Bahrain’s pre-season F2 shakedown, the shadows loom large. Past crossovers like Marcus Ericsson and Logan Sargeant highlight the pitfalls—Ericsson thrived in IndyCar after F1 rejection, while Sargeant flamed out spectacularly.

In a sport where legacies are forged in fire, Herta’s odyssey tests the mettle of American ambition. Hauger’s gauntlet—delivered not with malice, but mentorship—urges him to embrace the unknown. The F1 dream that flickered in a boy’s eyes now demands adult reckoning. Will Herta conquer the risks, or will they conquer him? As the engines roar to life in 2026, the answer accelerates toward us, one treacherous lap at a time.