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Simona de Silvestro’s return to IndyCar wasn’t easy


Simona de Silvestro climbs into her car at the 2022 Big Machine Music City Grand Prix in Nashville.

Simona de Silvestro climbs into her car at the 2022 Big Machine Music City Grand Prix in Nashville.
image: Joe Skibinski / Penske Entertainment

When Simona de Silvestro climb to her 16th place Paretta Autosport Chevrolet at this year’s Road America, it was her first time behind the wheel of an Indy in 7 years, her first at Road America in 14. That alone was enough of an uphill battle, but according to Team owner Beth Paretta, it got even tougher: “We didn’t quite put her in the car. She just hit the pedals.”

Racing is a side sport. A tenth of a second here, a fraction of an inch there – those can be the deciding factors between success and bitter disappointment. As racing fans, we all know it, but hearing de Silvestro’s struggles firsthand gave me insight into her return to the sport.

“To drop Simona back into that car, there is now an aerosol display – the car handles completely differently from what she expected,” Paretta added during a chat with Jalopnik at the Music City Grand Prix. “And a lot of her competition on the grid, they were here the whole time she was gone. They are used to the aeroscreen. Before Road America, she didn’t have any exam dates. Just one day of simulation. And there is a problem with the pedal.

“To drop her back like that, and she finishes in the lead, and she’s overtaking the car? It’s ridiculous “.

The voice Paretta loved when she spoke; The level of respect within the crew and between the team owner and the driver was evident, even during our brief conversation. De Silvestro, however, takes a more limited view of her performance.

“It was important that we improved every time we went out,” she said. “There were a few more things to click on and the results weren’t always visible, but we found our opportunity as a team. So far, we just got to know each other, how it works.”

However, when de Silvestro turned to talk to someone else, Paretta confided that her driver was “disappointed”.

“She said, ‘I’ve driven this car before, I should know how to do it,’” Paretta said. “But it seems, she has never raced this car before. In principle it was the same as the last time she walked a road seven years ago, but a lot had changed. The aeroscreen adds 70 pounds and completely changes the center of gravity, so the car now responds differently to fuel loads. It’s a new beast. “

After three races, de Silvestro’s top result was 18th in Mid-Ohio, but the team was still pleased with the achievement.

“There’s just so much you can do with three races,” said Paretta, especially considering that de Silvestro’s first proper test on a track came only after her Road America debut. . So now, every side improvement – every successful pit stop, every position achieved on the track, every once-challenging concept now intuitive – sounds like a win.



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