Herta set for second Cadillac FP1 outing in Hungary

Colton Herta will return to a Cadillac Formula 1 cockpit in opening practice at the Hungarian Grand Prix, stepping in for Valtteri Bottas six weeks after his grand prix weekend debut in Sergio Perez's car at Barcelona. The outing gives the American experience in both of the team's entries as Cadillac continues to evolve its car during a challenging debut campaign.

Why it matters:

Cadillac is still searching for its first point after 10 rounds, with Bottas's 13th-place finish in China remaining its best result. Herta's extra track time provides the squad with additional feedback and a valuable development benchmark, though he remains committed to his Formula 2 campaign with Hitech alongside these F1 duties.

The details:

• Herta headlines a group of five replacement drivers in FP1 at the Hungaroring as teams rush to complete mandatory rookie running before the summer break.
• Mercedes: Frederik Vesti takes over for championship leader Kimi Antonelli, completing the Italian's required absences for the year. Teammate George Russell still faces two mandatory sit-outs after the break.
• McLaren: Reigning F2 champion Leonardo Fornaroli replaces Oscar Piastri for his second appearance, allowing the team to evaluate a major aerodynamic upgrade centered on a new floor.
• Alpine: Paul Aron steps in for Franco Colapinto for his third FP1 outing of the season following previous sessions on loan with Audi.
• Haas: Reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa takes over Oliver Bearman's car to round out the rookie field.

What's next:

With several teams set to complete their rookie obligations this weekend, the focus shifts to whether Cadillac can translate its additional running into tangible gains. Herta stressed that while the session aids his personal development, his primary goal is to deliver feedback that helps the race drivers optimize their weekend and supports the team's long-term progress.