Robert Shwartzman says switching up his nationality kept his Formula 1 dream alive. While fellow Russian Nikita Mazepin lost his Haas seat over the Ukraine conflict, Ferrari reserve Shwartzman reacted to the anti-Russian sanctions early this year by applying for an Israeli racing license. “My father’s family is from Israel, he was also Israeli. When I started karting, my father decided that we would get a Russian license because we lived in Russia. And when the situation between Russia and Ukraine worsened, I decided to apply for a racing license from Israel. Mazepin and many other Russian athletes have decried the way that their sporting bodies handled the Ukraine conflict, but Shwartzman says his priority was keeping his F1 dream alive. “This chapter is closed,” said Shwartzman when asked about SMP.

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