Robert Shwartzman has been promoted to a Ferrari reserve driver role in 2023, sharing duties with Antonio Giovinazzi.
The Italian, who used to race for Alfa Romeo, was the Ferrari reserve last season along with Haas driver Mick Schumacher, who would have been called up at any races that Giovinazzi was not present at while competing in Formula E. While Giovinazzi will not race in Formula E this year he is one of Ferrari’s Hypercar drivers, and so once again the role will be split.
After impressing the team with his simulator support work last year, Shwartzman (pictured above) will take over the other reserve spot, with Schumacher having left Ferrari to join Mercedes in the same role after losing his Haas seat.
Shwartzman recently tested an IndyCar for Chip Ganassi Racing at Sebring, setting the fastest time of the one-day test as he edged out new full-time Dale Coyne Racing driver Sting Ray Robb. The Israeli-born Russian will also race the new 296 GT3 in the SRO GT World Challenge Europe this season to keep him race sharp.
“Honored to step up as Scuderia Ferrari F1 reserve driver and continue my journey with the Ferrari family,” Shwartzman said. “I look forward to working hard, getting back behind the wheel of the F1 car and racing in the GT World Challenge with Ferrari Competizioni GT!”
Ferrari has an unchanged F1 driver lineup of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz for the third consecutive season, with Leclerc finishing as runner-up in the drivers’ championship last year.
