Raring to go

19 Aug 2015

Simona De Silvestro excited to tackle Mount Panorama and be part of a Championship she follows - but is not underestimating the task.

3 mins by James Pavey

Funny

2015

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IndyCar and Formula E driver Simona De Silvestro is excited to tackle the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 for the first time after following the V8 Supercars Championship for years.

One of just three females to stand on the podium in an IndyCar race, 26-year old De Silvestro will line-up with Australian driver Renee Gracie to form an all female team at the Mountain and steer a Prodrive-prepared Ford Falcon.

While the arrangement is for two years, Swiss De Silvestro is focusing on her first run this October, and will be doing all she can to prepare for the V8 Supercar. She is not underestimating the task ahead of her.

"For me the biggest challenge is to get used to V8 Supercar - most of my career I've been racing in open wheel racing," De Silvestro said.

"But I'm going to get some testing done before so I can get comfortable.

"Especially the Bathurst track will be a big challenge, but I'll work hard, work on a simulator and things like that to get used to the track.

"Hopefully for the race I think we'll be really well prepared to have a good result at the end."

While the challenge is never underestimated, international drivers have performed well at the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 in previous years - a wild card fielded by Triple Eight with Mattias Ekstrom and Andy Priaulx behind the wheel claimed a top 10 finish in 2013, and last year Oliver Gavin stood on the podium for Walkinshaw Racing.

De Silvestro races in the American IndyCar Series for the world famous Andretti Autosport outfit and was part of the Swiss Sauber F1 squad last year. She recently announced she would contest the 2015/16 FIA Formula E Championship.

"I think the Bathurst track looks really interesting - really hilly and things like that," she said.

"For me, I raced in Europe -some of the tracks have some familiarities. I really look forward to it.

"I haven't had a chance to talk to anybody who has driven there yet but hopefully I'll see somebody I can ask some questions."

De Silvestro described herself as a "pretty big fan" of the Championship.

"Especially when I was in the US I followed V8 Supercars quite a lot - it's funny because the Bathurst event was the first time I watched a race on TV and the cars look like a lot of fun to drive. I'm looking forward to it."

The drivers will have the opportunity to test the V8 Supercar prior to the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, with two days available for a wild card entry. De Silvestro and Gracie are looking forward to being part of an all-female team.

"I think for me - being a girl in racing - at the end of the day, when we wear the helmet we have to be judged being a race car driver," De Silvestro said.

"I think I've been able achieved that because I've always been able to win races in the series I've been in. Not yet in IndyCar, but hopefully that will change soon."

Prodrive successfully ran a wild card entry in last year's Great Race for SuperBlack Racing. Driver Andre Heimgartner went on to secure a full-time drive in the category this year, with the team also committing to the category as a regular team.