Prema Racing will subject Robert Shwartzman alongside Callum Ilott for its maiden IndyCar marketing campaign in 2025, bringing collectively two drivers the Italian squad had success with in junior formulation.
This can be a new profession path for Shwartzman, who received the FIA F3 championship in 2019 and was the F2 runner-up in F2 two years later – each occasions with Prema – however by no means made it to the Components 1 grid.
Having been an F1 take a look at then reserve driver for Ferrari within the final three years, Shwartzman raced for the prancing horse with affiliated outfit AF Corse within the GT World Problem Europe Endurance Cup in 2023.
The 25-year-old subsequently joined the WEC’s Hypercar class this yr in a Ferrari 499P, profitable at Circuit of the Americas with team-mates Robert Kubica and Yifei Ye whereas taking ninth place within the drivers’ standings.
Shwartzman now takes on a brand new problem in IndyCar and is conscious that mastering many new tracks in addition to the staff’s Chevrolet-powered Dallara will put him to the take a look at.
“Every thing will probably be new to us and there will probably be many challenges, however it is going to even be loads of enjoyable and loads of work on the identical time,” the Russian-Israeli stated. “I believe a really profitable future lies forward for us.
Robert Shwartzman, Prema Racing
Picture by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Pictures
“IndyCar is a really aggressive collection, with so many robust drivers, and I am wanting ahead to the racing, because it seems actually cool.
“I’ve by no means pushed on ovals and to grasp them, will probably be a totally new problem.
“Nonetheless, with Prema we achieved rather a lot up to now, and I believe that my F1 and endurance expertise will probably be useful to make us evolve quick and rise up to hurry rapidly.”
Prema staff proprietor Rene Rosin branded Shwartzman “a particularly gifted driver”, including: “I believe that, by working collectively, we can overcome the steep studying curve that lies forward of us.”
In the meantime, Prema’s IndyCar CEO Piers Phillips concurred: “Robert has a really spectacular resume and has been aggressive in all places he went, from single-seaters to GT and prototypes.
“We expect his expertise and flexibility will assist him significantly, and also will assist our staff to be taught sooner and be extra environment friendly.”
Phil Hanson has signed to successfully exchange Shwartzman within the buyer AF Corse-run 499P subsequent yr, and is more likely to be joined by incumbents Ye and Kubica – who instructed Motorsport.com eventually weekend’s Bahrain WEC finale that he “didn’t come right here for only one yr”.
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