Herta Tipped by Button for Cadillac

Daniel Ricciardo dismisses Cadillac F1 talks, while Jenson Button endorses Colton Herta as a promising contender for Formula 1.

Daniel Ricciardo has firmly ruled out joining the Cadillac F1 project, with the Australian also appearing ready to end his F1 career.

When asked about interest shown by Mario Andretti and the future American team, the 35-year-old driver declared he was “done with F1.”

When pressed further with “So no Cadillac then?” he immediately replied, “No, no, I’m done,” while making a clear hand gesture and flashing his trademark smile.

It seems a very clear response from Ricciardo, who, in any case, was not the marquee figure Andretti had hoped for. Instead, Andretti appears to be focusing on Colton Herta (pictured below).

A good choice, according to 2009 world champion Jenson Button. Button, who teamed up with the Californian at the 24 Hours of Daytona in January, backed Herta for a Formula 1 debut.

“He’s extremely fast. He’s doing everything he can to get to F1.”

“In IndyCar, he’s extremely quick. He was my teammate when we raced at Daytona earlier this year. He just comes into a race and knows how to be on pace.”

“He’ll be quick in F1 straight away. There’s obviously a lot to learn, as it’s very different from IndyCar, but he has the right mindset.”

Herta had his best IndyCar season to date in 2024, finishing second in the drivers’ standings. This brought him within a whisker of earning the FIA Super Licence points required to be eligible for an F1 seat.

This has already hindered Herta when AlphaTauri failed to secure a special exemption from the FIA to sign him for the 2023 season. As it stands, Herta has 39 points toward his Super Licence, one short of the required 40. To date, his F1 mileage has been limited to private testing with McLaren.

However, Button highlighted the need for a competitive driver and team in the United States to elevate interest in Formula 1 to the next level.

“The sport has seen massive growth in the United States, and that’s fantastic. We’re at the point where we need a competitive American driver and a competitive American manufacturer.”

“It’s huge for the sport. Securing the interest of GM and Cadillac will draw more attention, prospects, interest, and sponsors in the future. The current teams will take a small short-term hit, which they won’t like. But long term, it’s great for the sport.”

“F1 has grown so much in the U.S. It’s going to stabilize there, and this is the next step to give it a little boost.”