Driven by faith and speed: Israeli Robert Shwartzman and his Ferarri dream

Robert Shwartzman might have one of the best jobs in the world. 

Few race car drivers get to experience the thrill of driving at the highest levels in both Formula 1 and endurance racing, but Shwartzman is one of those fortunate few. The Israeli driver, a reserve driver for Scuderia Ferrari and competitor in the 2024 Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) World Endurance Championship for AF Corse, has carved out a unique career that spans the fast-paced world of F1 and the grueling challenges of long-distance racing.

Like most racing enthusiasts, his exposure to the sport began at a very young age, and similarly his career started in go-karting. 

How Robert Shwartzman got into racing

“My journey began a long time ago when I was four years old,” Shwartzman told the Magazine. “My dad was always a huge racing fan, and he wanted to be a race car driver himself. He didn’t manage to do what he wanted, but he got me, and he got, I think, lucky that I initially already had the same racing mentality as he did.

“When I was around two years old, we went to my aunt’s house, and my older cousin had an electric car for kids. As a normal kid, he drove it for 10 minutes and then went to play other games,” Shwartzman recalled. “I jumped in his car, and I was driving for two hours until the battery ran out, designing my own track in my mind. My dad was watching from the side, and even at two years old, he could see I had the potential to fulfill his own dream.

“When I grew up a bit, he made me try karting first. That’s when my journey began. I started racing and started achieving things. Then, at six years old, I went to Italy for my first karting race. Then, when I was 10 years old, I moved permanently to Italy.”

Shwartzman credits his father, who passed away in 2020 from COVID-19 complications, as his idol in life and emphasized the importance of a strong support network, especially when one has to move away from home at such a young age to pursue a dream. “A strong support system is crucial for any athlete, or really anyone in any field – whether business, sports, or something else. Having people near you who support you can make all the difference,” he said.

Throughout his career, Shwartzman has progressed up the ladder, which is the myriad of different competitions and classes of motor racing, beginning in 2014 with the Italian F4 Championship. Things haven’t always gone entirely smoothly, but Shwartzman credits a strong mindset and belief in his continued rise through the ranks and position now in the world of motorsport. 

“The best advice I can give is to believe in yourself. Sometimes in life, you won’t have people who believe in you, so you need to find the strength within yourself to convince yourself that you can do it. Work hard, practice, and try to learn as much as possible – like a sponge, absorb all the information you can,” he advised. 

“No matter how hard life gets, keep moving forward. I hope my journey can be an example for kids going through difficult times. A few years ago, I was in a tough place, mentally and in my career – it was extremely hard. I managed to overcome it. And if I did, you can too. Sometimes, even if you don’t believe in yourself, just keep going. Things will eventually turn around, whether fast or slow, and that’s what matters most.”

Victories and points have come at almost every stage of racing for Shwartzman. His first major competition win came when he won the 2018 Toyota Racing Series for the M2 Competition team. He came third in the 2018 FIA Formula 3 European Championship overall and topped the Rookie Cup. More success followed a year later when he won outright the 2019 FIA Formula 3 Championship.

Formulas 3, 2, and 1 represent different tiers in the single-seater racing ladder, each serving as a developmental step for drivers aiming for Formula 1. Formula 3 is an entry-level international series where young drivers develop their skills in a competitive environment. It’s often the first step for those coming from karting or regional series. From there, drivers can progress to Formula 2. Drivers race in more powerful cars with enhanced speed and technology, preparing for the higher demands of F1.

Finally, if successful enough, a driver can reach the lofty heights of Formula 1. The pinnacle of single-seater racing, F1 features the fastest, most advanced cars and the world’s top drivers competing in a global championship.

Each formula uses progressively more powerful and technically complex cars, but the ultimate goal for any driver is to drive in F1: “I would really like to see myself in Formula 1. This is still my goal and dream,” Shwartzman said.

Shwartzman is also a part of the most successful and perhaps the most famous F1 racing dynasty to ever have competed – Scuderia Ferrari. The cars with black prancing horses on the red body have been driven by such legendary names as Juan Manuel Fangio, Alain Prost, Gilles Villeneuve, Alberto Ascari, Niki Lauda, and, of course, Michael Schumacher, who won five of his world titles with the team.

Shwartzman joined the Ferrari Driver Academy in 2017 and has since progressed from test driver in preseason to reserve driver for the team in 2023 and 2024, ready to step into the hot seat.

“I am very happy. It’s already been seven years that I’ve been with Ferrari,” he explained. “Being a reserve driver for Ferrari means a lot. It’s a very big status. Unfortunately, it’s not driving an actual car. It’s being there as a reserve. But still, you know, when you look from the side, you can learn a lot of things. I feel like I’m fully part of the family.”

THIS YEAR, in addition to his Ferrari duties, Shwartzman is competing for the AF Corse team in the 2024 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), an international motorsport series focusing on long-distance endurance races, including iconic events like the 24 Hours of Le Mans. 

The series features multiple classes of cars, such as hypercars (the top tier), which Shwartzman races, LMP2 prototypes, and GTE (Grand Touring Endurance) cars. Teams compete in both manufacturers’ and drivers’ championships over several races worldwide, with events lasting between six to 24 hours. The goal is to test the endurance of cars, drivers, and teams in extreme conditions.

Endurance racing is a team effort. Alongside seasoned F1 veteran Robert Kubica and Chinese talent Yifei Ye, Shwartzman has embraced the unique physical and mental demands of long-distance racing. 

“The main challenge here is managing mental and physical endurance,” Shwartzman explained. “Compared to single-seaters, where there’s a big but short push, it’s more sustained here. You have to learn how to conserve energy, both mentally and physically, to avoid burnout too soon. It’s important not to make mistakes, to stay clean with other drivers, and avoid damage. The races are long and physically demanding, especially in the heat, so you need to be well prepared. Thankfully, I’ve felt good physically and mentally throughout the races.”

Shwartzman was invited recently to partake in a free practice session for the Kick Sauber F1 Racing Team ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix in August, an experience that allowed him to once again get behind the wheels of an F1 car. 

“I really enjoyed it,” he said of his participation in Kick Sauber. “It was awesome. It was back after 10 months without driving for so long. The conditions were super tricky. There was rain, there was wind. The track was super challenging. But even so, I think I managed to keep the car out of trouble and myself with it. I managed to show a very strong pace, solid speed, and consistency. Overall, I’m very happy with my performance.”

Shwartzman described the season so far as “a very interesting journey.” “It’s still going. I’m very thankful to Ferrari and Antonello, the head of the hypercar pro program, that he gave me this opportunity to drive the hypercar because I finally got to race in the world championship again. I have good teammates. I have good people around me. This season’s results aren’t lucky for us, especially at Le Mans, because we were leading for so long. We had the chance to win it, but unfortunately, the car had an electrical issue, which caused us to retire four hours before the end of the race. But it’s racing, it’s life.”

The trio of Shwartzman, Kubica, and Ye has already tasted success this season, winning the six-hour Lone Star Le Mans at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, at the beginning of September. The 2024 WEC takes in a global tour of exotic destinations, with races in places such as Qatar, Le Mans, São Paulo, Fuji, and Imola in northern Italy.

FOR millions of racing fans worldwide, the name has come to mean only one thing. In 1994, Brazilian Formula 1 driver and three-time world champion Ayrton Senna crashed at the circuit doing nearly 190 mph at the time and died. Senna’s was the second death at the track that weekend, but it shook the entire sporting world. 

Among the most naturally gifted and aggressive ever to sit behind the wheel, Senna’s rivalry with Mclaren teammate Alain Prost for world titles at the end of the Eighties helped the sport’s global growth. However, he was not only successful at winning races – Senna brought a mystique and religiosity to the track that infuriated some but caused legions of fans to fall in love with him, and Shwartzman is no different.

“My main inspiration was always Ayrton Senna,” he told the Magazine. “He was an idol to many racing drivers. For me, he was just driving on another level, and how he approached difficult situations was also very incredible. Plus, he believed in God. I believe in God. On that side, I’m quite similar [to him]. We have more or less similar beliefs.”

THE 25-YEAR-OLD previously raced under the Russian flag but switched to the Israeli flag at the beginning of the 2022 season. He has faced no antagonism from competitors or supporters, and his biggest reaction was surprise.

 “It came as, let’s say, news to a lot of people. Some people didn’t really understand it or didn’t believe it,” he stated. “But again, the truth is, I’m Israeli. I was born there. I have friends there. I was born in Tel Aviv, and obviously, whenever I took the Israeli flag, it was a big honor to represent Israel. I’m very happy and proud to be carrying the Israeli flag.

“Jerusalem is one of the most significant places in my memory,” he said. “It’s hard to explain, but the energy there is different from anywhere else. Even though I’ve visited a few times, including as a kid, it still feels like something extraordinary, almost like God’s place. I’ve never experienced that feeling anywhere else. I’m incredibly proud that it’s in the country I was born in. I believe in God, so it’s also personally important to me, though I don’t talk about it much because it’s something I keep to myself. I just want people to understand and accept it in their own way. For me, I’ve always known how special it is, and that motivates me to move forward, improve myself, and bring love and good vibes into the world – especially during these difficult times.”

The complexities of the world of motor racing mean Shwartzman could find himself racing in an entirely different format next year. He already has experience behind the wheel of Formula 1 cars and endurance racing. He has suggested that the IndyCar circuit could be a destination for the future. He has already had opportunities most motorsport fans could only dream of. His career continues to progress; wherever he may find himself racing, the intention is always the same. 

“The target is always to win. It doesn’t matter where. For me, it’s always been the thing.”