America's next F1 hope emerges as Colton Herta faces painful reality
Ugochukwu appears to have taken Herta's place as America's new F1 hopeful (Photo: Race Pictures)
16:00, 21 Sep
0 Comments
Connor Andrews is Formula 1 and MotoGP writer for GPblog and various outlets. Having worked in motorsport for 15 years for leading companies, he has interviewed the sports biggest names and attended multiple Grands Prix.
American Formula 1 fans are having to pivot their hopes of a full-time F1 driver from Colton Herta to Ugo Ugochukwu.
GPblog understands that Herta’s F1 dream looks set to come to an end, with the 26-year-old struggling for Super Licence points and championship points in Formula 2.
Herta has admitted that he’s ‘not interested’ in another year in F2, where he is 19th in the standings and has only qualified in the top 10 once.
Colton Herta running out of options for F1 move
Further ending his hopes was a practice outing at the Italian Grand Prix, where a hydraulic issue his Cadillac suffered meant he did not complete the 100 kilometres needed to pick up a Super Licence point.
ADVERTISEMENT
The California native is due one more practice outing in F1, but he himself has said it won’t be enough for a Super Licence, meaning the US’s wait for a full-time F1 driver goes on.
However, timing is a funny thing, and just as Herta’s dreams look to have ended, a compatriot has given himself a huge boost.
Herta's hopes of becoming the US's next F1 driver have faded (Photo: Race Pictures)
Ugo Ugochukwu emerges as America's next F1 hope
ADVERTISEMENT
Ugo Ugochukwu won the Formula 3 championship in Madrid, and looks to have catapulted himself to the top of the list as the US’s next F1 hopeful.
The 19-year-old from New York made a late turnaround in the championship to beat Briton Freddie Slater to the title.
He became the first American to win the third tier of FIA single-seater racing by doing so, and has put himself on the radar of top teams.
Ugochukwu had been part of McLaren’s academy from 2021, but left for the 2026 season and could now be picked up by another F1 outfit.
Red Bull considering backing American champion
ADVERTISEMENT
Title rival Slater has already signed for Invicta Racing in F2 for 2027, and GPblog understands that Red Bull are considering backing Ugochukwu in the series next year.
That could well put him on the path to becoming America’s first F1 driver since Logan Sargeant left the sport in 2024.
Speaking to F1 about his ambitions after taking the title, Ugochukwu said: “It's a really important step in my career.
"I'm super happy as well to be the first American to do it. It makes me really proud to be able to represent my country well. That's definitely my goal for the future as well, to keep getting the American flag on the top step of the podium.
"I think Formula 2 is the next logical step, it's the next step on the ladder. I'll look forward to whatever is coming next. I think this year has gone really well. I want to replicate how this year went in 2027."
ADVERTISEMENT
Don’t miss GPblog in Google
Mark us as a preferred source and our articles will appear more often at the top of Top Stories.
Add as a preferred / source on GoogleRead more about:
latest news
Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Overview
Thursday 24.09.26
Practice 1
08:30 AM
Practice 2
12:00 PM
Friday 25.09.26
Practice 3
08:30 AM
Qualification
12:00 PM
Saturday 26.09.26
Race
11:00 AM
Thursday 24.09.26
Practice 1
Thu 08:30 AM
Practice 2
Thu 12:00 PM
Friday 25.09.26
Practice 3
Fri 08:30 AM
Qualification
Fri 12:00 PM
Saturday 26.09.26
Race
Sat 11:00 AM
Times are in your local timezone
Rumors
Popular on GPBlog
1
Of all people, Zara Larsson seems to reveal the fate of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
951 times read
2
FIA president under fire after stepping in over Alonso’s uncertain F1 future
817 times read
3
The cost of cancelling F1 races in the Middle East as the sport tries to go ahead as planned
780 times read
4
Leclerc reaches a rare F1 milestone in Madrid, but would have preferred a different entry
470 times read
F1-stand 2026
Season
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | MercedesMER | 292 | |
2 | MercedesMER | 211 | |
3 | FerrariFER | 191 | |
4 | McLarenMCL | 186 | |
5 | FerrariFER | 167 | |
6 | Red Bull RacingRBR | 145 | |
7 | McLarenMCL | 120 | |
8 | Red Bull RacingRBR | 71 | |
9 | Racing BullsRCB | 59 | |
10 | AlpineALP | 41 |
Loading
