Simona de Silvestro has set her sights on a Formula 1 seat on next year's grid.
The 25-year-old was announced as an affiliated Sauber driver in February and recently tested an F1 car for the first time.
The Swiss racer completed two days of running at the Fiorano circuit in Italy, at the wheel of a 2012 Sauber C31.
She is set drive the same car at the Valencia circuit next month. After leaving the IndyCar series, she is hopeful of securing a drive for 2015.
"Racing next year is the goal," de Silvestro told reporters at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on Friday.
"There’s still a long road ahead, but if I do everything correctly and show good pace in the race car I don’t see why not.
"The sponsors I have on the C31 are sponsors I’ve had since 2008 with the cleaner energy campaign. They’ve always known F1 is my ultimate goal and they’re helping me try to get there."
She is hoping to gain the superlicense required to drive current Formula 1 machinery soon. When asked if there will be opportunities to gain experience in Sauber's 2014 car this season, she replied: "Yeah, I think there are possibilities. All the goals we have set so far have been achieved, so hopefully in the near future that will happen."
De Silvestro admitted that the decision not to continue racing and to take up a test role in F1 was an easy one. "That was the debate we were having on what to do this year," she explained. "[But] what is difficult about F1 is understanding how everything works.
"Luckily for me I’m having quite a bit of testing in an F1 car, and right now that’s more valuable than actually racing. It is a risk to leave my career in the US, but since I was a small girl I’ve always wanted this.
"It was actually a pretty easy choice because this chance only comes once in life and you have to take it. I don’t think about not racing, I’m thinking about doing everything right and getting in the race car."
Sauber has a tough decision ahead, with Adrian Sutil, Esteban Gutierrez, Giedo van der Garde and Sergey Sirtkon also looking to drive for the team next year.
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| © Sauber F1 Team |
The Swiss racer completed two days of running at the Fiorano circuit in Italy, at the wheel of a 2012 Sauber C31.
She is set drive the same car at the Valencia circuit next month. After leaving the IndyCar series, she is hopeful of securing a drive for 2015.
"Racing next year is the goal," de Silvestro told reporters at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on Friday.
"There’s still a long road ahead, but if I do everything correctly and show good pace in the race car I don’t see why not.
"The sponsors I have on the C31 are sponsors I’ve had since 2008 with the cleaner energy campaign. They’ve always known F1 is my ultimate goal and they’re helping me try to get there."
She is hoping to gain the superlicense required to drive current Formula 1 machinery soon. When asked if there will be opportunities to gain experience in Sauber's 2014 car this season, she replied: "Yeah, I think there are possibilities. All the goals we have set so far have been achieved, so hopefully in the near future that will happen."
De Silvestro admitted that the decision not to continue racing and to take up a test role in F1 was an easy one. "That was the debate we were having on what to do this year," she explained. "[But] what is difficult about F1 is understanding how everything works.
"Luckily for me I’m having quite a bit of testing in an F1 car, and right now that’s more valuable than actually racing. It is a risk to leave my career in the US, but since I was a small girl I’ve always wanted this.
"It was actually a pretty easy choice because this chance only comes once in life and you have to take it. I don’t think about not racing, I’m thinking about doing everything right and getting in the race car."
Sauber has a tough decision ahead, with Adrian Sutil, Esteban Gutierrez, Giedo van der Garde and Sergey Sirtkon also looking to drive for the team next year.
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