Feb.11 (GMM) Robert Shwartzman is being linked with a return to Formula 1, amid reports he could become a reserve driver for Audi F1 Team in 2026.
The 26-year-old Russian-Israeli previously worked as a reserve and test driver for Ferrari and Sauber – the Hinwil-based squad that has now transitioned into Audi’s full works project under the new regulations.
Shwartzman’s career path shifted in recent seasons toward endurance racing and then IndyCar in the United States. In 2025, he made a major impression at the Indianapolis 500, becoming the first rookie since 1983 to claim pole position for the famous race.
However, his American future has recently become uncertain. Prema Racing, the Italian outfit with which Shwartzman contested IndyCar, has announced a delayed start to its 2026 campaign amid ownership restructuring. The team is not participating in pre-season tests at Sebring or Phoenix and has yet to confirm its presence at the season-opening race on March 1.
Prema’s two entries are also the only full-time cars on the grid without charters under IndyCar’s new system, leaving the team outside guaranteed race starts and key financial distributions last year.