De Silvestro close to a race seat for St Pete

Simona de Silvestro

Racer.com rumors that veteran Verizon IndyCar Series driver Simona de Silvestro is closing in on a drive with the Honda-powered Andretti Autosport team for the season opener at St. Petersburg, and could extend the opportunity through Barber Motorsports Park.

De Silvestro parted ways with her longtime manager Imran Safiulla after her F1 foray failed, and it's believed she sought guidance from Andretti executive John Lopes to explore new opportunities in IndyCar, and to secure the funding necessary to land a top drive.