Simona drove a Formula One car for the first time

For the first time in her career, Simona De Silvestro drove a Formula One car in Fiorano. The opportunity was offered to her by the Sauber team, which she joined this year with the goal of being the first woman since 1992 (Giovanna Amati) to compete in the World Championship races next season.

The 25-year-old Swiss drove 2012 laps on the track in Fioran with a 112 Sauber race car, but unfortunately the team did not reveal the times.

“Even though driving a Formula One car is something special, I wasn’t too nervous,” said Simona, who is still making laps at Fioran today.

“I focused more on what I was supposed to do than as a racer. But after the installation round, I realized that this was my first lap in a Formula One race car and that it was something special. I was most impressed by the amount of vacuum and braking. When I drove the first lap, the brakes were cold but the decelerations still surprised me. The G-forces are much larger than I was used to in the IndyCar series car.

Overall, I am happy with the first day. I mainly focused on tires or how to get the most out of them. Every time I drove on the track I learned something new about the behavior of the race car. Now I can already feel where I have hidden stocks and how I can make even more use of them. Physically, I feel good as I have been preparing for this test for a few months. I practiced hard and the training obviously paid off for me, ”De Silvestrova described the first day behind the wheel of the car.