De Silvestro open to Australian Supercars move for 2017 - MotorSportsTalk

Recent IndyCar and Formula E driver Simona de Silvestro is open to moving into the Australian Supercars championship full-time in 2017.

De Silvestro was recently dropped by Andretti’s Formula E team following a disappointing season that yielded just two points finishes, making way for Antonio Felix da Costa.

Team boss Michael Andretti told NBC Sports last month that de Silvestro could remain part of the Andretti Autosport fold, but that her future remained uncertain.

De Silvestro made her debut in V8 Supercars at last year’s Bathurst 1000 alongside Renee Gracie, finishing 21st.

After announcing earlier this week that she would be returning to Mount Panorama in 2016 with Gracie, de Silvestro said she would be open to racing in the series full-time next year.

“I think, for me, I’ve had a tough year in Formula E right now and I’m definitely looking at all the options that there is out there,” de Silvestro told supercars.com.

“Supercars – I really enjoyed Bathurst last year, it’s definitely something to look at. There’s the support of Harvey Norman also and the female action is quite important.

“Right now there’s no decisions made, the racing is a lot of fun here and as a race car driver that’s what you look for, and going full tilt all the time.

“So who knows. Maybe. I don’t know yet.”

Supercars CEO James Warburton said the series would do everything in its power to get de Silvestro on board for 2017.

“First and foremost Simona is an incredible driver. The sport is talking about her as the ‘real deal’ having seen what she achieved at Bathurst last year given it was the first time she had ever driven a Supercar,” Warburton said.

“The fact that she is the fastest female on four wheels will inspire a new generation of fans and showcase the potential and possibilities for women in the top tier of motorsport, which is an important ambition and we believe an obligation we have for our series.

“Simona’s achievements of having been Formula 1 test driver, been one of only three females to stand on an IndyCar podium and her achievements in Karting and European Championships absolutely makes her a target for Supercars, quite a remarkable career to consider when she is still only 27.

“Globally Simona has a number of options and people chasing her, all we can do is try and get to the front of the queue.

“And believe me, we are pushing.”

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An IndyCar executive said there is “absolutely” disappointment that its long-awaited video game recently was delayed beyond its target date, but the series remains optimistic about the new title.

“Well, I don’t know how quick it will be, but the whole situation is important to us,” Penske Entertainment president and CEO Mark Miles said during a news conference Monday morning to announce IndyCar’s NTT title sponsorship. “Motorsport Games has spent a lot of money, a lot of effort to create an IndyCar title. What we’ve seen of that effort, which is not completely obvious, is very reassuring.

“I think it’s going to be outstanding. That’s our shared objective, that when it is released, it’s just widely accepted. A great credit both to IndyCar racing, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, something that our fans love.”

In June 2021, IndyCar announced a new partnership with Motorsport Games to create and distribute an IndyCar video game for the PC and Xbox and PlayStation consoles in 2023.

But during an earnings call last week, Motorsport Games said the IndyCar game had been delayed to 2024 to ensure high quality.

Somewhat compounding the delay is that IndyCar’s license for iRacing expired after the end of the 2022 season because of its exclusive agreement with Motorsport Games.

That’s resulted in significant changes for IndyCar on iRacing, which had provided a high-profile way for the series to stay visible during its 2020 shutdown from the pandemic. (Players still can race an unbranded car but don’t race on current IndyCar tracks, nor can they stream).

That’s helped ratchet up the attention on having a video game outlet for IndyCar.

“I wish we had an IndyCar title 10 years ago,” said Miles, who has been working with the organization since 2013. “We’ve been close, but we’ve had these I think speed bumps.”

IndyCar is hopeful the Motorsports Game edition will be ready at the start of 2024. Miles hinted that beta versions could be unveiled to reporters ahead of the time “to begin to show the progress in a narrow way to make sure we’ve got it right, to test the progress so that we’re ready when they’re ready.”

It’s been nearly 18 years since the release of the most recent IndyCar video game for console or PC.

“(We) better get it right,” Miles said. “It’s something we’re very close to and continue to think about what it is to make sure we get it over the line in due course.”