Art of Gears
Fansided

Sabine Schmitz and the Greatest Female Race Car Drivers

By David Castro

LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 20: Sabine Schmitz attends the "Top Gear" World TV Premiere at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square on January 20, 2020 in London, England. (Photo by Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 20: Sabine Schmitz attends the "Top Gear" World TV Premiere at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square on January 20, 2020 in London, England. (Photo by Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images) /
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INDIANAPOLIS – MAY 21: Simona De Silvestro, with bandages on her hands after suffering burns from a crash, prepares to qualify her #78 Nuclear Clean Air Energy HVM Racing Dallara Honda for the 95th Indianapolis 500 Mile Race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 21, 2011 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS – MAY 21: Simona De Silvestro, with bandages on her hands after suffering burns from a crash, prepares to qualify her #78 Nuclear Clean Air Energy HVM Racing Dallara Honda for the 95th Indianapolis 500 Mile Race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 21, 2011 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images) /

Simona de Silvestro (IndyCar, Supercars Championship, Formula E)

The “Iron Maiden” or “Swiss Miss” has competed at the highest levels of motor sports in various disciplines. de Silvestro has found success in open wheel racing (IndyCar, Formula E), Supercars and GT racing. In 2014 the Sauber Formula One team signed de Silvestro as an affiliate driver and she knocked out 112 test laps.

She spent five-seasons racing in IndyCar and made 68-starts and garnered one podium finish. This year she will attempt to qualify for the Indy 500 for Paretta Motorsports, a female-centric team owned by Beth Paretta, for the first time since 2015.

“I think it’s a great opportunity,” De Silvestro said. “Feel like in the past I’ve proven I can drive a race car and here I have an awesome opportunity to get in this car. Same with the girls on the pit crew they’re practicing with some of the best guys in the paddock and they have this chance and I think that’s what we all realize. We have this chance in front of us.”  – De Silvestro on trying to qualify for the 2021 Indy 500  

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