If you've been following along in our worldwide game of "Where's Simona?," one of the most talented women in racing has been sadly semi-seatless for a while. Her deal to be a test driver for Sauber fell through when the funding package went kaput. She got a seat for the IndyCar St. Petersburg Grand Prix, but it was a one-off.
So, after having left to pursue a Formula One test position that sadly never materialized, she's now grabbing IndyCar seats as they come available. Sounds like she's landed on her feet: she drove for Andretti Autosport at the St. Petersburg season opener, and now she's made a deal to drive for the team for the Indianapolis 500.
According to Autosport, Andretti Autosport team owner Michael Andretti was looking for ways to her to drive for the team more.
"We are really excited to have Simona come on board with the team for St Pete," he told Autosport. "Hopefully we'll be able to build on the programme, eventually taking it from this race to future events and maybe even a full-season."
She finished 18th at the St. Petersburg Grand Prix. That wasn't the best result, but it also wasn't the worst given all her time off between races.
De Silvestro will miss several upcoming grands prix, but at least has a seat for the big one. Per Autoweek, she will drive the number 29 TE Connectivity Honda, which will be the fifth Andretti Autosport car entry for this year's Indy 500.
Welcome back to IndyCar, Simona. I hate not seeing her in F1, but given Sauber's recent problems, perhaps that was for the best. Now we've got one of the most promising female drivers in the world racing on a competitive team for one of the most iconic races on the calendar. Not just testing, but racing.
Photo credit: Getty Images
Contact the author at stef.schrader@jalopnik.com.