Robert Shwartzman Bio
Robert Mikhailovich Shwartzman (born 16 September 1999) is an Israeli and Russian racing driver who last competed in the IndyCar Series, driving the No. 83 Chevrolet for Prema Racing. He is a former member of the Ferrari Driver Academy, the 2018 Toyota Racing Series champion, and the 2019 FIA Formula 3 champion. Across his career, Shwartzman has raced in single-seaters, Formula 2, the FIA World Endurance Championship, and the IndyCar Series, building a reputation as a versatile and resilient competitor.
He gained worldwide attention in 2025 by qualifying on pole position for the Indianapolis 500 as a rookie, only the second driver in modern history to achieve the feat in his first Indy 500 start. That performance helped him earn the Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year award and signaled his smooth transition from European open-wheel racing to American motorsport.
Early Life and Background
Shwartzman was born on 16 September 1999 in Tel Aviv, Israel. He was raised in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and later in Italy, a move that placed him close to many of Europe’s most important junior racing programs. His father, Mikhail Shwartzman, died in 2020 after contracting COVID-19, a loss that deeply shaped the young driver’s personal and professional outlook.
Shwartzman began karting in 2004 at the age of four and went on to spend seven years competing professionally in karting across Europe, with most of his success coming on Italian circuits. In 2023, he also released a rap song titled “ACTIVE,” showing another creative side beyond the cockpit. These early experiences helped him develop the discipline and race craft that would carry him through the junior single-seater ladder.
Path to NASCAR
Shwartzman’s path did not include NASCAR, and his career has been built entirely on the international open-wheel ladder. After karting, he moved into Formula 4 with Cram Motorsport in 2014, and the following year he raced full-time in the Italian F4 Championship with Mücke Motorsport, taking three wins and finishing third in the standings. He also competed in the inaugural ADAC Formula 4 championship in 2015, showing early speed in multiple junior series at once.
He progressed through Formula Renault 2.0 in 2016 and 2017, then won the Toyota Racing Series title in 2018 with M2 Competition. A standout 2018 season in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship earned him a place at Prema Powerteam and a confirmed Ferrari Driver Academy spot, which ultimately led him to the FIA Formula 2 Championship and the doors of Formula One.
Robert Shwartzman Career
Early Career (2018–2019)
Shwartzman’s first major title came in the 2018 Toyota Racing Series, where he finished every race inside the top five and claimed the championship ahead of M2 Competition teammates Richard Verschoor and Marcus Armstrong. He also won the prestigious Denny Hulme Memorial Trophy that season, marking him as one of the leading junior talents of his generation.
In the 2018 FIA Formula 3 European Championship, Shwartzman raced with Prema Powerteam and recorded his first European Formula 3 victory at Spielberg, adding a second win at the season finale. In 2019, he stepped into the newly formed FIA Formula 3 Championship with Prema and delivered a championship-winning campaign, highlighted by a dramatic title-clinching run at Sochi.
FIA Formula 2 Championship (2020–2021)
Shwartzman joined Prema Racing for the 2020 FIA Formula 2 Championship alongside Mick Schumacher. After dedicating his first F2 victory at the Red Bull Ring to his late father, he battled through an emotionally difficult season and finished fourth overall with four wins, the most of any driver that year. He ended the campaign 51 points behind teammate Schumacher, who took the championship.
In 2021, Shwartzman stayed at Prema and partnered Oscar Piastri. He picked up two wins, including a strong victory at Silverstone that he called “redemption,” and added eight podiums across the season. He finished the year as vice-champion with 192 points, 60.5 behind Piastri, before leaving the series to focus on his Formula One reserve duties with Ferrari.
Formula One and Sportscar Racing (2021–2024)
Shwartzman served as a reserve and test driver for Ferrari in Formula One from 2021 through 2024. He took part in Free Practice 1 sessions for Ferrari at the United States and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix in 2022, and appeared in additional practice outings at the Dutch and Abu Dhabi races in 2023. In 2024, he ran Free Practice 1 sessions with Kick Sauber at the Dutch and Mexico City Grands Prix.
Outside of Formula One, Shwartzman made his sportscar racing debut in 2023 with AF Corse in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup, sharing driving duties with Nicklas Nielsen and Alessio Rovera. He later finished fastest overall at the FIA World Endurance Championship rookie test in Bahrain driving the Ferrari 499P Hypercar.
FIA World Endurance Championship (2024)
In 2024, Shwartzman raced full-time in the FIA World Endurance Championship’s Hypercar class for AF Corse, partnering Yifei Ye and Robert Kubica in the No. 83 car. The trio opened with a strong fourth place at the Qatar 1812 km and led the 24 Hours of Le Mans at the six-hour mark before a penalty and a mechanical issue forced them out after 248 laps.
The team’s season turned around with a win at the Lone Star Le Mans at Circuit of the Americas. They added an eighth-place finish at the 8 Hours of Bahrain to close the year, ending the FIA World Endurance Championship ninth in the Hypercar standings with 57 points.
Prema Racing Era (2025)
On 5 November 2024, Prema Racing announced that Shwartzman would drive the No. 83 Chevrolet full-time in the 2025 IndyCar Series, joining former Formula 2 rival Callum Ilott. The start of the season was tough, as Prema adapted to IndyCar and he and Ilott ran no higher than 18th through the first five rounds. The program quickly showed progress, however, with steady improvement in race trim.
Shwartzman’s defining moment came at the Indianapolis 500, where he stunned the field by taking pole position, becoming the first rookie driver to do so since Teo Fabi in 1983 and giving Prema its first IndyCar pole. Although he crashed in the pit lane on lap 87, he was still named Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year. He added his and Prema’s first top-ten finish at Illinois, closed the year with a best result of ninth at Iowa, and finished the 2025 IndyCar Series 24th in the standings.
Driving Style and Strengths
Shwartzman is known for his smooth, consistent driving style and his strong tire management, skills that stood out throughout his Formula 2 and FIA World Endurance Championship campaigns. He reads races well, stays calm under pressure, and has shown an ability to extract maximum performance from a car on long runs, a quality that helped him lead the 24 Hours of Le Mans at the six-hour mark and fight for points across varied IndyCar tracks.
Notable Races and Milestones
His signature results include the 2018 Toyota Racing Series title, the 2019 FIA Formula 3 championship, his four-win 2020 Formula 2 campaign, the Lone Star Le Mans victory in 2024, and the 2025 Indianapolis 500 pole position. Reaching the top step at Silverstone in 2021, a race he called “redemption,” and earning the Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year award remain two of the most meaningful moments of his career.
Robert Shwartzman Career Wins
Shwartzman has built a strong win record across junior open-wheel, endurance, and IndyCar competition. His championship-caliber seasons in Formula Renault, the Toyota Racing Series, and the FIA Formula 3 Championship established him as one of the top juniors of his generation, while his later Formula 2 and sportscar victories confirmed his ability at the upper levels of the sport.
FIA Formula 2 Highlights
In the FIA Formula 2 Championship, Shwartzman recorded four wins during his 2020 rookie season, the most of any driver that year, including his emotional first victory at the Red Bull Ring. He added two more wins in 2021 at Baku and Silverstone, finishing the campaign as vice-champion with 192 points and eight podiums in total.
Other Wins and Performances
Outside of Formula 2, Shwartzman won the 2018 Toyota Racing Series championship and the 2019 FIA Formula 3 Championship in its inaugural season. He also won the Lone Star Le Mans round of the 2024 FIA World Endurance Championship with AF Corse, partnering Yifei Ye and Robert Kubica in the No. 83 Ferrari 499P Hypercar.
Robert Shwartzman Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Shwartzman was raised in Saint Petersburg and Italy, which placed him close to many of Europe’s leading junior racing programs. His father, Mikhail Shwartzman, was an important figure in his early career and passed away in April 2020 after contracting COVID-19. Shwartzman has often spoken about the influence his father had on his racing journey and dedicated his first Formula 2 victory to his memory.
Personal Life
Born in Tel Aviv and raised between Saint Petersburg and Italy, Shwartzman holds dual Israeli and Russian heritage and currently competes under the Israeli flag. Outside of racing, he released a rap song titled “ACTIVE” in 2023, showing his interest in music and creative work beyond the cockpit.
2025 Season Performance
Shwartzman’s 2025 season was his first full year in the IndyCar Series and one of the most talked-about rookie campaigns of the year. After a slow start with Prema Racing, where he and teammate Callum Ilott ran no higher than 18th through the first five rounds, the program gained momentum and produced several strong performances. His run to pole position at the Indianapolis 500 quickly made him a fan favorite and earned praise from IndyCar president Doug Boles.
Although he crashed out of the Indianapolis 500 on lap 87 in the pit lane, the team still collected the Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year award. From that point on, Prema’s competitiveness improved, with Shwartzman taking a best finish of ninth at Iowa and adding top-twenty results in all but two of the remaining races. He closed the season 24th in the IndyCar standings, just seven points behind teammate Callum Ilott.
Despite the late-season progress, Shwartzman narrowly missed the overall Rookie of the Year title, finishing two points behind Louis Foster. With Prema’s future in the series in doubt and no seat secured elsewhere for the 2026 Indianapolis 500, Shwartzman became the first pole-sitter in the race not to return to compete the following year since Bruno Junqueira in 2003. His performances, however, left no doubt about his speed and his potential in IndyCar.
