Shwartzman to share Ferrari F1 reserve role with Giovinazzi

Shwartzman, 23, was previously a test driver for the Maranello-based team, while former F1 racer Giovinazzi was the official reserve.

Shwartzman raced with a Russian licence in Formula Two, where he was overall runner-up behind Australian Oscar Piastri in 2021, before switching to an Israeli one after Moscow invaded Ukraine last year. | Photo Credit: AFP

Russian-Israeli driver Robert Shwartzman will share Formula One reserve duties at Ferrari with Italian Antonio Giovinazzi this season, the team announced on Thursday.

Shwartzman, 23, was previously a test driver for the Maranello-based team, while former F1 racer Giovinazzi was the official reserve.

The Tel Aviv-born driver raced with a Russian licence in Formula Two, where he was overall runner-up behind Australian Oscar Piastri in 2021, before switching to an Israeli one after Moscow invaded Ukraine last year.

He took part in two Friday practice sessions with Ferrari at grand prix weekends last year.

Ferrari said Italians Antonio Fuoco, 26, and Davide Rigon, 36, would be development drivers working in the new simulator that came on stream last year.

Ferrari, runners-up to Red Bull in 2022, will have the same race lineup of Monaco’s Charles Leclerc and Spaniard Carlos Sainz under the new leadership of Frederic Vasseur.