Israeli-born, Russia-raised Indy 500 pole winner Robert Shwartzman calls for peace around the world

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Israeli-born IndyCar driver Robert Shwartzman used his platform after a stunning pole-winning run for the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday to call for peace both in the nation where he was born and Russia, where he was largely raised and under whose banner he drove until its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Making his debut in the “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” the 25-year-old Shwartzman's four-lap average of 232.790 mph beat out a host of open-wheel racing's biggest stars to earn the first spot on the starting grid for the May 25 race.

Then, he made an impassioned plea for peace in the Middle East, where Israel has been at war with Hamas-led Palestinian groups since 2023, and Eastern Europe, where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with top U.S. officials Sunday ahead of a phone call Monday between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin aimed at ending their war.

“I just want peace in the world,” Shwartzman said. “I want people to be good, and I don't want the separation of countries, saying, ‘This is bad country. This is good country.’ There is no bad or good. We're all human beings, and we just have to support each other. We need to find ways to, let's say, negotiate things. Find ways to agree on things, you know? Because from my experience, there is always, you know, a gold medal, I'm calling it — like, there's always the right path.”

Shwartzman was born in Tel Aviv, Israel, and raised in Saint Petersburg, Russia. He began racing go-karts when he was 4 years old, and eventually, his budding career in motorsports took him to Italy and elsewhere in Europe.

He's a former member of the Ferrari Driver Academy and served as a Formula 1 reserve driver until just last year.

In November, he was hired by Italy-based Prema Racing as one of two drivers for its nascent IndyCar program. He'd never raced on an oval before arriving at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where speeds can reach up to 240 mph on the straightaways, and he was considered an afterthought to qualify anywhere near the front of the prestigious Indy 500.

Shwartzman was surprised by the raucous cheer he received upon winning the pole — and really, the reception he has had among American racing fans throughout the month — given the way he was treated by many fans in Europe.

“Here, I feel really good with the fans. In my couple years in Europe, it was a bit more tense for me, I have to admit,” Shwartzman said. “Some fans supported me but some were against me. There were very tough moments in my life where I didn't do anything bad. I didn't support anything. I generally support people from my country, but all people with respect, and some people were saying bad things just because of where I was born.”

Perhaps those experiences were one of the reasons why Shwartzman was so vocal in asking for peace on Sunday.

“I really hope that at the end of the day, everything’s going to be good in the world. It’s going to be all calm,” he said. “From my side, I try to just, you know, represent my country and do my best, let people know that I’m here and that I’m giving it all.”

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