Discover more
Having made a brief appearance for Andretti in the final two rounds of the 2014/15 season in London, Simona de Silvestro was given a full-time drive for the second season of the FIA Formula E Championship.
As the only female driver on the grid, there was certainly a lot of pressure on Simona from fans across the world, with the Swiss racer - nicknamed the Iron Maiden - having developed a strong reputation during her IndyCar career.
Her first full season in Formula E proved challenging, not helped by the reliability problems of the new Andretti powertrain during pre-season testing.
Reflecting on her campaign, Simona said: “It was pretty average, I would say. I had a lot of ups and downs. It wasn’t the greatest season that I have had, that’s for sure. Not testing much hurt us a little and running the season one powertrain, which wasn’t as competitive as some of our competitors, wasn’t great but what hurt the most was that in the first few races I seemed to have a few car issues. I wasn’t able to pick up points when other teams were also struggling. That was what hurt me the most.”
Simona’s season did provide a number of memorable moments, including a historic moment in Long Beach where she became the first woman in Formula E history to score points, finishing in eighth place. She said: “Ending up in the points at Long Beach was great and we also qualified okay there. Mexico was also not too bad, especially in the first stint, but yeah I would say Long Beach was definitely the highlight! It was pretty special. To be the first one on that list is a very special feeling. I wish it had been more points but yes, it was special and I’m pretty proud of it. It’s very cool!”
Season two stats:
Simona de Silvestro
Starts: 10
Championship position: 17th
Points: 4
Wins: 0 (best result: 8th)
Poles: 0 (best qualifying: 12 )
Fastest laps: 0
FanBoosts: 0