The American driver, after spending eight years in IndyCar, has made the decision at 25 to switch to European racing. He’s signed with Hitech GP to contest Formula 2, with the clear goal of proving competitive enough to earn himself a Formula 1 seat in the near future.

Speaking to James Hinchcliffe for F1 TV, Herta admitted that the decision he’s taken feels like going “back to school”: "It’s back to learning a lot of basics. How you drive each Formula car, even though they look the same, they’re quite different, and the Formula 2 car is very different.

His year in Formula 2 will also serve as a crucial springboard for securing the FIA Super Licence points he needs to race in the premier class. On top of that, he’ll continue his duties as a Cadillac test driver, with the brand set to make its Formula 1 debut next season.

He finally added: "There’s a lot of new stuff, but I’m excited for it. There’s a lot of stuff that’s going to be new for me next year, but there’s a lot of stuff that I remember from my F3 days and my F4 days. It’s going to be exciting. It’s a big programme."

McLaren’s reserve driver thinks Herta will feel the full pressure of the IndyCar world on his shoulders next season.

O’Ward, who has raced alongside Herta in IndyCar since 2020, believes the former Andretti driver has a real shot at Formula 1 in the future, and that many will be watching closely to see how he performs in F2.