Cadillac have already decided which driver Colton Herta would replace if he joins in 2027

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Colton Herta could be on his way to a Cadillac Formula 1 seat in the near future, potentially replacing Valtteri Bottas, and Sergio Perez’s contract situation might be playing a role in that.

The American driver moved over from IndyCar to race in Formula 2 this season, making the switch so he could work toward getting an FIA superlicense.

Towriss was clear with Herta: if he passed up the chance to race F2 this year, he shouldn’t bring up Formula 1 again. But now Herta is looking for a spot on the grid as early as 2027.

Perez’s contract advantage over Bottas: what it could mean for Herta’s path to Cadillac

Both Perez and Bottas are 36, with time likely running out on their careers. Meanwhile, Cadillac seem to be grooming Herta for a future seat through his F2 programme in 2026.

Herta is also set to run FP1 in Barcelona as the team looks to give him more mileage and experience. He is pushing to get a seat on the grid in 2027, as per journalist Julianne Cerasoli.

But who he would replace at Cadillac is another question, but according to Cerasoli, Perez has a ‘90% chance’ of having a better contract.

If Cadillac decide it’s time to bring him into Formula One, Bottas would probably be the one stepping aside.

Discussing the situation, she told UOL Esporte: “Ferrari has two teams on the grid: one is Haas, the other is Cadillac. It turns out that Cadillac has a certain Colton Herta who’s already been talking about being a driver next year, right, as a regular driver next year.”

She added: “And they [Cadillac], being a new team, aren’t going to swap two drivers and put in two inexperienced drivers. So for Rafa Câmera this move is very important to understand which way Haas is heading and whether Ferrari is really missing the boat within the American team.”