Simona de Silvestro got her first taste of Formula One on Saturday and Sunday after testing with Sauber at Ferrari’s test track in Fiorano.
De Silvestro completed 112 laps on Saturday and 68 on Sunday behind the wheel of a 2012 Sauber, repainted in favour of her personal backers, including as Clean Air Energy, who supported her career in the US. De Silvestro gave up a promising IndyCar career to pursue her opportunity in F1, after she became the first woman to secure a road-course podium in the history of the series at Houston last October.
She has already spent much of the season so far working in Sauber’s simulator at Hinwil in her native Switzerland. This weekend’s test is de Silvestro’s next step in qualifying for an F1 super licence, and her programme with Sauber will also see her get back behind the wheel of the C31 from June 25 to 27.
Well let’s hope that she’s the ‘real deal’, if only not to depress the sporting aspirations of our female co-habitants of the planet.
I personally think that ‘success is a statistical challenge’ (regardless of any inherent wiring differences between the male and female of our species.
Take a huge male driver base, and create a pyramid.
Now Create a female driver base, and create a pyramid.
The female pyramid will be tiny by comparison.
Of course, statistics don’t make her a failure…. it’s just probability.
Like you’d say to anybody who gets a chance to drive in F1:
Be lucky!
🙂