Robert Shwartzman

Robert Schwartzman is an Israeli-born racing driver who grew up in Russia and Italy. In 2025, he will make his debut in the IndyCar Series with Prema Racing.

Schwartzman’s Road to the IndyCar Series

After achieving significant success in karting, Schwartzman made his motorsport debut in 2014. A year later, he competed in both the Italian and German Formula 4 championships. That season brought his first major achievements, with a third-place finish in Italy and a fourth-place finish in Germany.

After two seasons in Formula Renault, Schwartzman joined Prema Racing in 2018. That year, he finished third in the European Formula 3 Championship and claimed his first title in the New Zealand Toyota Racing Series. The following year, he secured an even more prestigious championship win: the FIA Formula 3 title.

In 2020, the Russian-Israeli driver moved up to Formula 2 with Prema. He finished fourth in his rookie season and second in his sophomore year. Although he was unable to secure a Formula 1 seat, he was appointed as a test and reserve driver for the Ferrari Formula 1 team, a role he held through 2024.

Schwartzman’s connection with Ferrari earned him a seat in 2024 in the Ferrari Hypercar project for the FIA World Endurance Championship. However, he continued to aspire to return to single-seater racing. That opportunity arose when Prema announced its entry into the IndyCar Series with its own team. Schwartzman was confirmed as the second driver, alongside Callum Ilott, for the 2025 IndyCar season.

IndyCar Debut with Prema

As a rookie at a brand-new IndyCar team, Shwartzman didn't have the ideal circumstances for his first season in the IndyCar Series. The Israeli driver lost valuable track time during the season’s early races due to teething problems with the car, but delivered a huge surprise by qualifying on pole for the Indy 500. During the race, he dropped back quickly due to a lack of experience, and a pit lane incident ultimately ended his run.

Later in the season, Shwartzman delivered improved results and finished in the top ten twice. He ultimately lost the battle for Rookie of the Year to Louis Foster in the final race, after receiving a drive-through penalty for blocking. Shwartzman fell just three points short of earning this prestigious title.