de Silvestro done with IndyCar, now with Sauber F1

Simona de Silvestro moves to F1

Simona de Silvestro has joined Sauber F1 as an "affiliated driver" ahead of the 2014 Formula 1 season and has been removed from our 2014 IndyCar Silly Season page.

The Swiss, 25, has been competing in the US since 2006, and for the past four years has contested the IndyCar series, taking her maiden podium finish on the streets of Houston in the closing stages of the 2013 campaign.

She joins Sauber with a view to gaining a super license and securing a seat on the 2015 Formula 1 grid, and is expected to undertake on-track testing, simulator training, as well as mental and physical preparation.

"This is a major step towards me achieving a life-long dream and I'm so happy to have the opportunity to take this step with such a great team," said de Silvestro.

"The Sauber F1 Team is a team with a legacy and the only Swiss team in Formula 1, which I think makes this even more exciting.

"I can't thank Monisha Kaltenborn and Peter Sauber enough for their support and belief in my abilities and for giving me this chance. I'm thrilled to have this extremely unique platform on which to prepare myself to take on the challenge."

Sauber Press Release

The Sauber F1 Team is pleased to announce that Simona De Silvestro will become an affiliated driver.

The 25-year-old Swiss left for the US when she was just 18 to drive in the Formula BMW USA series in 2006 and the Atlantic Championship from 2007 to 2009. Over the past four years De Silvestro has been driving in the IndyCar Series. She won the prestigious Indy 500 “Rookie of the Year" Award in 2010 and became the first woman to earn a podium finish on a street circuit in IndyCar.

This year she is taking the next step in her career by joining a preparation program with the Sauber F1 Team, with the goal to gain her super license and prepare for a race seat in Formula One for 2015. The program will include on track testing, simulator training, as well as mental and physical preparation.

Monisha Kaltenborn, Team Principal:
“After four years in IndyCar, Simona’s ambition is to enter Formula one in 2015. We regard her as a very talented race driver, and we, therefore, decided to take her on board as an “affiliated driver" and support her on her way to the pinnacle of motorsport."

Simona De Silvestro:
“This is a major step towards me achieving a life-long dream and I’m so happy to have the opportunity to take this step with such a great team. The Sauber F1 Team is a team with a legacy and the only Swiss team in Formula One, which I think makes this even more exciting. I can't thank Monisha Kaltenborn and Peter Sauber enough for their support and belief in my abilities and for giving me this chance. I’m thrilled to have this extremely unique platform on which to prepare myself to take on the challenge."