Shwartzman set to make F1 debut with Ferrari in FP1 at US Grand Prix

Shwartzman is part of Ferrari’s F1 junior academy and has spent the year as the team’s test driver.

He spent two years in F2, regularly running at the front with Prema.

In his first season, Shwartzman led the standings for the first half of the campaign before falling away as Prema teammate Mick Schumacher took the title.

In year two, Oscar Piastri’s dominance meant Shwartzman could only finish a distant runner-up, with his qualifying form his main weakness.

Despite being from Russia, he has been able to switch to an Israeli licence after being born in Tel Aviv and thus participate in official F1 sessions.

In accordance with the new regulations for this year, every F1 driver has to give up their seat for a young driver - defined as someone with less than two F1 starts.

The team hasn't decided whether he will replace either Charles Leclerc or Carlos Sainz at COTA.

Explaining why it was COTA, not Singapore or Suzuka, Ferrari’s Laurent Mekies explained at the Hungarian Grand Prix: “For us it's Robert Shwartzman that will do our two FP1s.

"We haven't exactly decided on which events it's going to be.

"You would not pick races like Singapore or races where the race drivers need more running. I don't think we have an issue in doing it during one of the weekends where we have Pirelli testing.”

Williams have already confirmed that Logan Sargeant will make his F1 debut at COTA also - his home race.