Ferrari loses reserve driver to IndyCar

This is a return to his roots for Robert Shwartzman. The Russian-Israeli driver is leaving Ferrari, where he was previously a reserve driver, to join Prema in IndyCar. He will be rejoining the team that welcomed him during his Formula 3 title in 2019 and his two impressive seasons in Formula 2 in 2020 (4th) and 2021 (2nd).

The native of Tel Aviv, who now races under an Israeli license, competed this year in the WEC season with AF Corse driving a Ferrari 499P which he shared with Robert Kubica and Yifei Ye, with whom he won the Lone Star Le Mans at the Circuit of the Americas. However, their participation in the 24 Hours of Le Mans ended in retirement.

New adventures await for @ShwartzmanRob as he leaves us to start a new journey in Indy car with @PREMA_Team 💪

We would like to thank Robert for all his contribution and dedication to the team. pic.twitter.com/VggCi8AkaI

— Scuderia Ferrari HP (@ScuderiaFerrari) November 19, 2024

After starting in WEC, Schwartzman is heading to the United States

“«Driving for Scuderia Ferrari has been one of the best experiences of my life,” Schwartzman rejoiced on his social media. “«I will never forget what I felt when driving a Scuderia Ferrari Formula 1 car for the first time. I will always be grateful for each lap, each experience, and it was such a privilege to work with some of the people from Scuderia Ferrari.”

Robert Shwartzman drove in free practice for Ferrari, but also for Sauber this season. His departure opens the door to the expected arrival of Guanyu Zhou, who will no longer drive as a full-time driver next season. The Chinese driver is reportedly about to join Scuderia Ferrari as a reserve driver after three years at Sauber.

Robert Shwartzman will discover IndyCar where he will race alongside Callum Ilott at Prema. The Italian team will make its debut in the American single-seater category next season with its former Formula 2 duo.