Ferrari Junior Driver Robert Schwartzman’s Father Passes Away Due to Coronavirus

Under tragic circumstances, Ferrari junior driver Robert Schwartzman’s father has passed away. According to the latest reports, Schwartzman’s father- Mikhail passed away due to Coronavirus. Schwartzman is swiftly rising through the ranks in the junior Formulas and the young Russian driver will make his Formula 2 debut this year.

Robert is a part of the Ferrari Driver Academy. The Russian joined the young driver program in late 2017 following a test for the F3 team – Prema. Schwartzman joined the Prema team and made his Formula 3 debut in 2018. The young Russian driver put in some impressive performances to become the F3 champion in his debut season.

Ferrari junior Schwartzman’s father passes away

Schwartzman’s biggest highlight came last year at the Formula 3 race in Sochi. The Russian clinched his maiden F3 championship in front of his adoring home crowd. As a result, Robert’s impressive performances were enough to convince Prema to promote him to their F2 team.

Robert Schwartzman will team up with fellow Ferrari junior Mick Schumacher in 2020. Had the season not been delayed due to Coronavirus, Schwartzman, and Schumacher would have engaged in some fascinating battles by now. The reigning F3 champion battling against a rising star and future F1 talent will make for some exciting battles once the season gets underway.

Russian website SportBoxRU reported news of Schwartzman’s personal tragedy. Italian Karting Champion Lorenzo Travisanutto expressed his condolences via an Instagram post.

“Accept my deepest condolences, my friend … I can only imagine how much your father meant to you.” We were like a family. I’m with you, Robert. Goodbye Michael”

Reads the Italian driver’s post, as quoted by SportBoxRU.

The FDA is yet to make any announcement regarding Schwartzman’s untimely demise. This is a small wakeup call to the sport to take the epidemic seriously and prioritize drivers’ health.

The sport plans to resume the season by July with the Austrian Grand Prix. F1’s proposed idea is to hold the first few races in Europe under closed doors. Furthermore, while it may not be quite the racing spectacle that fans are accustomed to, the sport cannot afford to take any chances under the given circumstances.