The 26-year-old American, who left IndyCar for Europe this year, said he was done with the junior category regardless of what came next.
“I think we’ll have to wait and see. But I have no interest in another year of Formula 2,” Herta told F1-Insider in comments carried by Speedcafe.
His frustration was blunt when he assessed Hitech’s pace.
“We’re actually not fast enough in almost every area, which I find frustrating,” he said.
Read also: 'It's a joke': Sevilla's coach defends Raphinha after hat-trick humiliation
The numbers back him up. Herta sits 19th with 26 points and three rounds still to run. Teammate Ritomo Miyata has scored 70 of Hitech’s 96 points, including a Madrid victory. A heavy qualifying crash ruled Herta out of both Madring races after he reported feeling unwell.
Cadillac’s lineup leaves no room
Herta joined the season as reserve driver for the new Cadillac F1 team while racing for Hitech. The double role was meant to sharpen him for a possible race seat with the American manufacturer.
Cadillac shut that door before the season began. The team confirmed Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas as its debut pairing, both on multi-year contracts. That leaves no obvious opening for 2027.
Super Licence still short
Herta remains short of the 40 Super Licence points required for an F1 race seat. He needs two more, and his F2 form will not deliver them. His route to those points now runs through rookie FP1 outings for Cadillac, where a hydraulic problem cut his Monza session short.
Read also: Ferrari will not blink: Vasseur shuts down Hamilton's number one push
IndyCar route back on the table
A return to IndyCar is the alternative most widely floated. Herta won nine races in the series before crossing the Atlantic, and he has spoken of interest in the series’ new 2028 car.
“Whatever I do and whatever series I drive in, I want to be competitive,” he told F1-Insider.
Herta races next at F2’s supersized Baku round on 24-26 September, which features two qualifying sessions, a sprint race and two feature races under a one-off expanded format.
Read also: Two children's names in two weeks: Al-Shaair keeps writing on his eye black
