Ferrari test driver Robert Schwarzman will make his official Formula 1 debut at the US Grand Prix at the end of October by taking part in the first free practice session.
Schwarzman will take over one of Charles Leclerc’s or Carlos Sainz’s F1-75 cars in Friday practice at the Circuit of the Americas. This is part of every Formula One team’s commitment to have two FT1 sessions driven by rookies since the 2022 season.
Ferrari’s race director Laurent Mekies has already revealed that Schwarzman, who turns 23 on Friday, will be at the wheel in both events, with the location of the second practice session yet to be determined. However, team boss Mattia Binotto has hinted that this will probably be at the season finale in Abu Dhabi.
Schwarzman already with many F1 test kilometers
“Robert Schwarzman will drive our two practice sessions for us,” said Mekies in Hungary. “But we haven’t decided exactly which events that will be.”
“You wouldn’t choose races like Singapore or places where the regular drivers have to drive more kilometers. But I don’t think we have a problem doing it on one of the weekends when we do Pirelli tests in the first practice to have.”
Schwarzman finished second to Prema teammate Piastri in last year’s FIA Formula 2 Championship and clinched the 2019 FIA Formula 3 crown in his debut season. He did not return to Formula 2 that year, instead taking on the role of Ferrari’s test driver helping the racing team in the simulator.
He also has experience with Formula 1 cars, having tried out both the Ferrari SF21 and the Haas VF-21 at the Young Driver Test in Abu Dhabi last December. Schwarzman also regularly tests old Ferrari Formula 1 cars at the Ferrari test track in Fiorano.
Also Colton Herta in the FT1 of the USA?
By switching from a Russian to an Israeli racing license, the Tel Aviv-born Schwarzman is eligible to compete in Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends. It remains to be seen if McLaren test driver and AlphaTauri candidate of choice for 2023 Colton Herta will join Schwarzman in the US FT1.
The IndyCar driver will test for Alpine at the Hungaroring ahead of the Singapore weekend as part of his preparation for a possible race seat. If he gets a special permit from the FIA for the missing super license points, Herta will replace Pierre Gasly, who is switching to Alpine. Otherwise Gasly would have to stay with AlphaTauri and Alpine would have to look for another solution to replace Fernando Alonso.