While speculation about a move from IndyCar to Formula 2 continues, Colton Herta remains calm—and gets laughs with a Rickroll
Colton Herta remains relaxed amid wild speculation about his future. The Andretti driver from the IndyCar series poked fun at the ongoing rumors about a move to Formula 2 in a video on social media – and promptly “rickrolled” his fans.
For years, Herta has been repeatedly linked with Formula 1. In 2022, he was even close to moving up to the premier class as a possible successor to Pierre Gasly at AlphaTauri, but failed due to a lack of super license points at the time. He has also been linked with Sauber in the past.
With Andretti Global’s planned entry into Formula 1 in cooperation with General Motors from 2026, speculation about Herta has recently gained momentum again.
A few days ago, US media reported that Herta could move to Formula 2 as early as 2026 in order to secure the necessary super license points for a later promotion to Formula 1 via the junior series. There has been no official statement so far, but the rumor mill is in full swing.
The 25-year-old himself did not initially comment on the speculation. “Oh man, to be honest, I have nothing to say about any of this,” he told the AP news agency. When the reporter interjected that silence only fuels the rumors, Herta replied with a grin: “Yes, but it also makes people talk about me more. Maybe it will even boost my reputation a little.”
He then made himself clearer in his own social media video. There, Herta announced: “Okay, I know there are a lot of rumors about what I’m going to do next year. I’ve thought long and hard about this decision, it was a difficult one, but now I’ve finally made up my mind. I’m grateful for everything that has happened and for the support of my fans this season, but this is going to be an exciting…”
See ya in 2026. ✌️ pic.twitter.com/WfSrXshok8
— Colton Herta (@ColtonHerta) August 31, 2025
But before the supposed reveal, Herta cuts to the music video for Rick Astley’s 1987 hit “Never Gonna Give You Up.” This is a classic “Rickroll.”
The term comes from a well-known internet meme that has been circulating since the 2000s. It involves tricking someone into unexpectedly listening to Rick Astley’s song “Never Gonna Give You Up” or watching the accompanying music video. The aim is to surprise or mislead the person, usually in a humorous way.
The reactions were not long in coming. “You made my dad and me crowd around my phone in the race track parking lot just to get rickrolled,” one fan wrote under the post. Another user commented, “You know what, if I’m still falling for Rickrolls in the great year of 2025, it’s my own fault.”
The fact that Herta is aware of the rumors and takes them with humor is likely to increase rather than diminish his popularity. Because one thing is clear: the Californian remains the talk of the town – not only in the USA, but also in international motorsport.
The 25-year-old actually has long-term planning security: at the end of 2022, he extended his contract with Andretti Global by four years, valid through the 2027 IndyCar season.