Motorsport: Simona becomes Nissan works driver
The decision has been made: Simona de Silvestro will drive for Nissan Motorsports in the Australian V8 Supercars Championship. Expectations are high for the fast Swiss driver. The season kicks off in Adelaide from March 2 to 5, 2017. The V8 Supercars organization announced the 28-year-old's commitment for the next three years back in September. The only open [...]
Back in September, the V8 Supercars organization announced the signing of the 28-year-old for the next three years. The only open question was her future team - and this will be the same one that enabled her to enter the Australian Touring Car Championship, namely Nissan Motorsport (Nismo). Her car will be a Nissan Altima V8, with the Melbourne-based Kelly Racing Team, which has been affiliated with Nismo since 2013, responsible for the races. The Vaud native from Mont-sur-Rolle said in a video message: "It's great to enjoy the trust of a manufacturer and to be a works driver for the first time. This will be a big challenge for me, as I only have experience with racing cars apart from the two outings at Bathurst in 2015 and 2016. But I think we will achieve a lot together."
The first woman with a regular place in the Supercars
Simona de Silvestro is the first woman to become a regular in the popular racing series in Australia and Asia. The Virgin Australia Supercars Championship, as it is officially called, emerged in 2003 from the touring car championship launched in 1969 and is now comparable to the DTM in Europe. However, the V8 Supercars are not such expensive high-tech machines, but affordable racing touring cars for private teams with or without factory support, with over 600 hp 5-liter engines and no aerodynamic bells and whistles. This also allows for tough wheel-to-wheel battles with paint swaps without affecting performance - pure racing, as real racing fans love it. Team boss Rick Kelly: "Simona's performance curve is pointing strongly upwards. She has already made enormous progress in her second start at Bathurst. Based on the data, we can see her enormous potential. We are excited to see what we will achieve with her."
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Photos: Factory
