De Silvestro fastest female in Formula E test

Simona De Silvestro has topped the female contingent in the Riyadh Formula E test, in which Sam Bird set the overall pace.

Teams were granted permission to run two cars in each of the two sessions, which took place the day after Race 1 of the 2018/19 campaign, if they entered a female driver.

De Silvestro, who has landed a role as a Venturi simulator/test driver this season, was 10th-fastest in the second session and 14th-fastest on combined times with a 1:12.048s around the 2.50km street circuit.

The Swiss driver completed all laps of her second session and all but one of the first at standard power mode rather than 225kW or 250kW, unlike a number of those ahead of her.

“It’s been very special to participate in the test today,” said De Silvestro, who last raced in Formula E in 2015/16.

“The car felt great, we had some typical testing tweaks to make but the speed of the improvements made by the team was really impressive and bodes well for the season ahead.”

Virgin Racing driver Bird’s 1:09.668s was the fastest lap of the day, and indeed of the circuit’s short history given that practice and qualifying the day prior were affected by rain.

His team-mate Robin Frijns was faster in the morning session but that lap was 0.876s slower than Bird’s best.

Defending champion Jean-Eric Vergne (DS Techeetah) was second fastest at 0.113s off the pace, while Oliver Rowland ended up third in the Nissan e.dams car which he shared with Carmen Jorda.

Stoffel Vandoorne (HWA Racelab) and New Zealander Mitch Evans, who finished Saturday’s race in fourth position in his Jaguar, rounded out the top five.

Nico Muller (Audi Sport Abt Schaeffler) was the quickest of the test-only drivers in sixth.

The best that the other Venturi drivers could manage was a 1:11.005s for Edoardo Mortara which left him seventh in the second session and eighth on combined times, and a 1:11.896s for Felipe Massa which put him 13th for the day.

Tatiana Calderon was the second-fastest female with a 1:12.229s in a DS Techeetah machine.

Race 2 of the season will be held in Marrakech on January 12.

Results: Test Session 1, Riyadh

Results: Test Session 2, Riyadh