Simona De Silvestro

Swiss-born racer Simona de Silvestro became the first full-time female driver in the Supercars era last year when she joined Nissan Motorsport.

De Silvestro had two forays in a Supercar as a wildcard at Bathurst in 2015 and ’16.

Their 2015 effort was the first all-female entry at Mount Panorama since Melinda Price and Kerryn Brewer in 1998, and they finished 14th one year later aboard a Nissan.

A maiden season in Supercars was about learning the championship, its cars and circuits, with De Silvestro recording a best race result of 13th and grid position of 14th.

An impressive run at Bathurst looked set to net a top 10 finish before a late crash, while De Silvestro shone in Newcastle, enjoying the level playing field of a new circuit.

Before entering Supercars, De Silvestro was a regular in Formula E and IndyCar across 2015 and ’16 though Andretti Autosport.

De Silvestro claimed a podium at Houston in 2013 during her time in IndyCar, and was named Rookie of the Year in the Indianapolis 500 in 2010.

Having also tested with the Sauber Formula 1 team in 2014, De Silvestro is passionate about about encouraging women in motorsport, whether it be behind the wheel or in the pit lane.