January 2026
In a significant move for Russian motorsport, Robert Shwartzman was officially appointed as the Reserve and Development Driver for the Audi Formula 1 Team ahead of its competitive debut in the 2026 FIA Formula One World Championship. The announcement, formalized in January 2026, marks a key step for the new manufacturer team and for Shwartzman’s career.
The 26-year-old racer will be responsible for simulator development, private testing, and being on standby should the primary drivers, Nico Hülkenberg and Carlos Sainz, be unavailable. This role is critical for a new team as it develops its first car.
Shwartzman’s path to this position has been diverse and high-achieving. He is a former champion in FIA Formula 3 (2019) and runner-up in FIA Formula 2 (2021), demonstrating his prowess in the official feeder series to Formula 1. From 2021 to 2024, he served as a test and reserve driver for the Scuderia Ferrari Formula 1 team, gaining extensive experience. His testing resume includes multiple Free Practice 1 sessions for Ferrari and Kick Sauber (the team Audi is taking over) and driving for both Ferrari and Haas in official post-season tests.
A highly adaptable driver, Shwartzman has also raced at the elite level of other categories. In 2024, he competed in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) with Ferrari, where he expressed confidence after topping the timesheets in a hypercar test. For the 2025 season, he moved to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, where he made an immediate impact by winning pole position for the prestigious Indianapolis 500 as a rookie.
Of Israeli and Russian heritage, Shwartzman was born in Tel Aviv and grew up in Italy after living in St. Petersburg, Russia. He currently races under an Israeli license and resides in Indianapolis. His appointment with Audi represents a high-profile presence within a top-tier F1 team.
References:
- Motorsport.com. “Robert Shwartzman shuts down ‘offensive’ rumors about his IndyCar career.” motorsport.com, January 2026. https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/robert-shwartzman-shuts-down-offensive-rumors-about-his-indycar-career/10758359/
- IndyCar.com. “Robert Shwartzman – Driver Profile.” indycar.com, 2026. http://www.indycar.com/Drivers/Robert-Shwartzman
- Motorsport.com. “Shwartzman to drive for Ferrari in Abu Dhabi F1 test.” motorsport.com, 2021. https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/shwartzman-drive-ferrari-abu-dhabi-test/6863965/
- Autosport.com. “Latest news on Robert Shwartzman.” autosport.com, 2026. https://www.autosport.com/driver/robert-shwartzman/841976/news/
- Formula1.com. “Shwartzman set to drive Bottas’ Kick Sauber in FP1 at the Dutch GP.” formula1.com, 2024. https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/shwartzman-set-to-drive-bottas-kick-sauber-in-fp1-at-the-dutch-grand-prix.5FluFlAeYhX7iDfwr55hIZ
- Motorsport.com. “Shwartzman has ‘zero doubt’ he is ready for WEC Hypercar move after Ferrari test.” motorsport.com, 2023. https://www.motorsport.com/wec/news/shwartzman-has-zero-doubt-he-is-ready-for-wec-hypercar-move-after-ferrari-test/10545384/
- Formula1.com. “‘It was a lot of fun!’ – Ferrari reserve driver Robert Shwartzman thrilled to get first run in the SF-23.” formula1.com, 2023. https://www.formula1.com/en/video/it-was-a-lot-of-fun-ferrari-reserve-driver-robert-shwartzman-thrilled-to-get-first-run-in-the-sf-23.1775220637306921061
- Motorsport.com. “Shwartzman hopeful of future F1 opportunities after announcing F2 exit.” motorsport.com, 2021. https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/shwartzman-hopeful-f1-opportunities-f2-exit/6867516/
- Autoracing1.com. “F1 News: Shwartzman has ‘no idea’ about potential Audi seat.” autoracing1.com, 2024. https://www.autoracing1.com/pl/433558/f1-news-shwartzman-has-no-idea-about-potential-audi-seat/
- Wikipedia. “Robert Shwartzman.” en.wikipedia.org, accessed February 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Shwartzman
