Robert Shwartzman opens up about PREMA Racing's 'ballsy' Indy 500 masterstroke

Robert Shwartzman came, saw, and conquered at the qualifying weekend for the 109th Indy 500. He became the first rookie in 42 years to take pole position for the 'Greatest Spectacle of Racing,' that too with a team that has the same IndyCar experience as his, only five races.

Before last weekend, Shwartzman had never put a competitive lap on an oval, let alone the biggest and most iconic of them all - the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He displayed intent from the word go, becoming the first driver on Saturday with a lap 1 average speed of over 233 mph.

That was raw foreshadowing of what was coming in the Fast 12 and Fast 6 on Sunday. The Israeli-Russian driver recorded a four-lap average of 232.79 mph in the Fast 6 to take the historic pole position.

In an interview with Motorsport, Robert Shwartzman explained how PREMA Racing's engineers helped him push the bar with each run at the 2.5-mile oval.

"Let’s be honest, we had balls on my side. To keep pushing the car more to its limits, you have to [have] a good sensitivity and acknowledge that we’re bringing the car to its limits. From my side, as a driver, I need to be really careful in controlling it," the 25-year-old said.

"The good side, from the engineers, [is] that they were following together with me, what I was asking from them, and what I needed to have a perfect car. I think all these combinations and generally people — the team, teamwork, the team spirit — that’s what made the difference."

A former Ferrari junior driver, Shwartzman's F1 and endurance racing efforts culminated in this Indy 500 achievement.

Robert Shwartzman talks about his 'symbolic' Indy 500 feat

Robert Shwartzman celebrates pole with PREMA Racing for the 2025 Indy 500- Source: Getty

Robert Shwartzman became the first rookie to take an Indy 500 pole position since Teo Fabi with Forsythe Racing in 1983. Coincidentally, 83 is Shwartzman's car number with PREMA.

The 25-year-old driver felt this was a good omen to take into his maiden Indy 500 attempt on May 25.

"That's actually a good one. That's something symbolic. I didn't even know that. I want to believe that it's definitely a big thing. Some people believe in this numbers thing. Some people don't. I find it kind of cool from my side, so yeah, as I said, I didn't expect myself to be here, honestly," he said after winning pole, via ASAP Sports.

Shwartzman will have a tough time defending his lead, with two-time Indy 500 winner Takuma Sato and 2024 runner-up Pato O'Ward starting on the front row with him. His PREMA teammate, Callum Ilott, will start the race in P23.