MOTORSPORT: De Silvestro signs three-year Supercars deal

Female Swiss racing driver Simona de Silvestro has been confirmed as a full-time competitor in the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship for the next three years.

The 28-year-old is expected to join the Kelly brothers-owned Nissan Motorsport team with multi-year backing from the Harvey Norman appliance chain.

De Silvestro’s deal has been brokered by Supercars chief James Warburton after she debuted in the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 last year with local female racer Renee Gracie in a Prodrive Racing Australia Falcon with backing from Harvey Norman.

De Silvestro and Gracie will return to Bathurst this year to complete the second year of their wildcard deal, but this time driving a Nissan Altima. That switch is understood to be an accurate indicator of De Silvestro’s home for the next three years.

De Silvestro has raced with some success in the all-electric Formula E championship and also raced in the US IndyCar series, where she has stood on the podium.

The recruiting of a female driver has been a priority of Warburton’s as he strives to widen and deepen the fan base of Supercars in the post local manufacturing era.

"This is an exciting announcement for the sport and a major coup for Supercars," Warburton was quoted as saying on the official supercars.com website, which announced the deal this morning.

"We said we wanted to have a full-time female driver in our championship and in Simona we have secured a world class driver.

"Along with Danica Patrick and Sarah Fisher she is one of only three female drivers to have stood on the podium in IndyCar and she will be a brilliant addition to Supercars.

“I want to thank Harvey Norman CEO Katie Page for their support of the Harvey Norman Supergirls and the South Australian Government for its support in making this happen.”

De Silvestro’s signing is the next step in resolving the driver movements for the 2017 season.

The Holden Racing Team’s James Courtney has also been linked with the Kelly’s team, which is still waiting on a decision from Nissan about whether it will renew its factory support.

Manager Alan Gow told a motorsport website Courtney’s future would be secured within one week, although he said it was unlikely to be announced them.

If Courtney moves from the Walkinshaw-owned team – which loses its HRT name and factory backing to Triple Eight Race Engineering – then his place looks increasingly likely to be taken by the young gun Scott Pye, who will be replaced by Volvo star Scott McLaughlin at the US-owned team in 2017.

Courtney’s teammate Garth Tander, veteran Jason Bright, Nissan’s Michael Caruso and Dale Wood are other drivers as yet to make clear their future plans beyond 2016.