Ferrari driver Robert Shwartzman’s career hasn’t taken him to Formula 1 yet, but he’s raced against several young stars lining up on the grid right now.
The 24-year-old is currently competing in the FIA World Endurance Championship and is teammates with cult hero Robert Kubica.
Shwartzman was speaking to Formula1.it in an interview and was asked about some of his former rivals.
The Russian-Israeli driver is current Ferrari’s reserve driver, sharing those duties with Oliver Bearman and Antonio Giovinazzi.
It was Bearman who got the nod in Saudi Arabia when Carlos Sainz was ruled out due to needing appendix surgery and did so well that he may have earned himself a spot on the grid in 2025.
However, Shwartzman admitted that McLaren star Oscar Piastri has already earned his ‘true respect’ and is the best driver he’s faced rising through the ranks that’s made it to Formula 1.
The 23-year-old has just entered his second season on the grid and already has two podiums and a Sprint Race victory to his name.
He’s in one of the fastest cars on the grid and could replicate those achievements in 2024 alongside Lando Norris.
READ MORE: McLaren driver Oscar Piastri’s life outside F1 from height to girlfriend
Robert Shwartzman thoroughly impressed with McLaren star Oscar Piastri
Robert Shwartzman’s career path is a familiar one for many of the most talented young drivers trying to break into Formula 1.
The 24-year-old starred in Italian F4 before finishing 3 in Formula Renault and earning a place in Ferrari’s academy.
It has become almost essential to be part of an F1 team’s academy at this point to reach the pinnacle of motorsport.
In 2019, Shwartzman won the Formula 3 Championship, ahead of IndyCar star Christian Lundgaard, Red Bull reserve driver Liam Lawson and Formula E driver Jake Hughes.
He was promoted to Formula 2 the following year and spent two seasons at that level, finishing runner-up in 2021.
The man who beat Shwartzman that year was rookie Oscar Piastri and his meteoric rise through the junior categories eventually earned him his move from Alpine to McLaren.
Shwartzman has been raving about the young Australian and believes he’s the most deserving driver to be in Formula 1 compared to anyone he’s raced against.
That includes the likes of Mick Schumacher, Yuki Tsunoda and Zhou Guanyu.
Oscar Piastri still going from strength to strength in Formula 1
Shwartzman was asked who he thought was the strongest, the most deserving of being in Formula 1 out of the drivers he had previously raced against – including Tsunoda – and said: “I think it’s Oscar Piastri.
“He’s a really strong, consistent, calm rider, he’s not mean, he’s not political, he doesn’t get in your way.
“He’s one of the few for whom I have true respect. When we competed together, in the same team we have never argued, he has always been honest, loyal.
“He is fast, good, he truly deserves his place in Formula One for everything he has done in his career. Few have achieved what he has done.”
Shwartzman and Piastri had some fantastic battles in Formula 2 but the McLaren driver’s consistency saw him come out on top with a 60-point margin by the end of the season.
Zhou finished one place behind Shwartzman in F2 that year, but he was overlooked by Alfa Romeo as they looked for a teammate for Valtteri Bottas.
Shwartzman’s first season in the Hypercar category in WEC has started well, with his team currently 6 in the standings after two races.
It’s unlikely given the overlap between the F1, F2 and WEC calendars that Shwartzman will be called upon by Ferrari should they need another reserve driver this season.
Instead, Bearman is expected to continue making his case that he should be in Formula 1 in 2025.
The post ‘True respect’: Ferrari driver says 23-year-old star ‘deserves’ his place in F1 even more than Yuki Tsunoda appeared first on F1 Oversteer.
