Simona de Silvestro will take part in the upcoming all-female Formula E pre-season test on 7 November, joining the Kiro Race Co team (formerly ERT).
Set to be the oldest driver at the test, the 36-year-old Swiss woman enjoys a wealth of experience from a car racing career that started in 2005 and saw her spend four full seasons in IndyCar.
She also raced in Supercars and ADAC GT Masters, with her only outing this year being a Porsche Carrera Cup Scandinavia round back in May.
De Silvestro is no stranger to Formula E, having taken 12 race starts for Andretti from 2015 to 2016, scoring four points thanks to two ninth-place finishes. She became a test driver for the Venturi squad in 2018-19, subsequently joining the Porsche factory outfit in a similar role.
De Silvestro remains a reserve driver for Porsche to this day, but with the German constructor fielding its development driver Gabriela Jilkova and Marta Garcia for the event, she will take the wheel of the Porsche-powered Kiro car.
“I’m thrilled to join Kiro Race Co for the Formula E Women’s test,” de Silvestro said. “It’s a great opportunity to work with a new team and contribute to their development. I’m excited to see what we can achieve together.”
Simona de Silvestro, Venturi Formula E, Venturi VFE05
Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
This will be de Silvestro’s first official Formula E outing since she took part in the all-female test at Saudi track Diriyah on 16 December 2018 with Venturi.
“We are incredibly excited to have Simona join our team,” Russell O’Hagan, COO of Kiro Race Co, added.
“Her vast experience and proven track record make Simona the perfect addition to our driver lineup. We believe that her participation will play an important role in our ongoing preparation for the new season ahead as well as inspiring our fans and the wider motorsport community.”
Kiro Race Co is the new name of the team previously known as ERT, which was fully acquired by American investment firm The Forest Road Company earlier this month and has switched to Porsche powertrains. The outfit had always used its own engines previously.