Colton Herta is returning to his roots, at least numerically.

The 20-year old Californian, who finished third in the 2020 NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship, will transition to Andretti Autosport’s No. 26 Gainbridge Honda entry for the 2021 season.

The 2021 championship will mark Herta’s third year competing in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, and mark a return to using the No. 26, which was utilized by Herta early in his karting career.

“I'm really excited for this new partnership with Gainbridge, they’ve been a huge supporter of Andretti Autosport and INDYCAR as a whole,” Herta said. “The livery is wonderful to look at and will pop at every track we go to; I can’t wait to see that Gainbridge livery at the front of the field.”

Gainbridge is a digital platform providing simple and direct access to trusted financial products to help clients grow their money for goals big and small, not just for retirement. The Gainbridge platform offers three key benefits: competitive growth, simplicity and transparency. The 2021 season will mark the fourth year of sponsorship for Group1001 under the Gainbridge brand, and a fifth season overall.

“Colton has quickly shown in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES that talent and drive produce winning results. Gainbridge is proud to align with Colton and Andretti Autosport to represent our brand and values,” said Dan Towriss, CEO and President, Group1001 and the Gainbridge brand. “Winning demands consistency and the confidence and consistency demonstrated by Colton makes him a great fit to represent Group1001 and Gainbridge. Additionally, we look forward to remaining part of the Andretti Autosport family where we can accelerate the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda program.” 

Herta’s engineer Nathan O’Rourke and strategist Brian Barnhart will also move to the No. 26 team along with Herta. Since joining the series full-time in 2019, the trio has produced three wins, 10 top-five finishes, and 19 top-10 results.

Herta, who broke an INDYCAR record by being the youngest race winner when he won at Circuit of the Americas in 2019, just a week shy of his 19th birthday, joins the previously announced Alexander Rossi in Andretti Autosport’s 2021 lineup.

“We’re really excited to welcome back Gainbridge and look forward to seeing what Colton can do in 2021,” said Michael Andretti, chairman and CEO of Andretti Autosport. “Colton’s career has been on a steady rise. We’re confident that he will continue to grow and advance, and we’ll see the No. 26 in victory lane soon.”