De Silvestro believes timing right for F1 move

Simona de Silvestro

Sauber affiliated driver Simona de Silvestro says she is ready to make the step up to Formula 1 as early as 2015, should she be able to secure a seat on the grid.

De Silvestro raced in IndyCars between 2010 and 2013 and became the first female racer to take a podium finish in Houston. This year the Swiss driver has enjoyed a couple of specifically arranged tests in a Sauber C31 at Fiorano and Valencia.

"If I do everything right, there's a good chance [of a seat]," she told F1 Racing. "I feel that now is the time, I wouldn't have made this jump if it didn't feel right or it wasn't a good opportunity. That's why it felt normal to go to Fiorano, I didn't feel super crazy nervous.

"For me, it's been really important to focus on the racing part, because at the end of the day that's what people are going to judge you on, whether you're a boy or a girl.

"The most important thing is that when we put on our helmets, we are all the same. We are racing drivers and we try to do the best job that we can in a race car. That's always been my aim."