Simona: Finally a top 10 result
V8 SUPERCARS On the final race weekend of the Australian Touring Car Championship (V8 Supercars), Simona de Silvestro finished tenth in her Nissan Altima. More would have been possible throughout the year. Races 30 and 31 in Newcastle marked the end of the Australian Supercars Championship. In the previous year, the Swiss émigré had already finished tenth on the 2.63-kilometer [...]
Races 30 and 31 marked the end of the Australian Supercars Championship in Newcastle. Last year, the emigrated Swiss was already on her way to a top result on the 2.63-kilometer street circuit on the coast of New South Wales in her Nissan Altima V8 before an opponent knocked her out of the way.
On Saturday, in the penultimate, two-hour championship race over 95 laps, she advanced from 18th on the grid to tenth place. Simona thus topped her best result to date in Perth in the spring by two places. If her team hadn't lost too much time at the last refueling stop, fifth place would have been feasible.
Mixed season after good start to the season
Her best classification to date was a twelfth-place finish in Perth in the summer. After the two opening races in Adelaide, both of which Simona de Silvestro finished in a good 18th place among the 25 men, she was in 16th position in the championship, which is further ahead than ever before.
After a mixed season with a total of 30 races (Race 27 did not take place) at 16 events, the 30-year-old from Mont-sur-Rolle VD is 23rd in the standings.
In 2019, it will tackle its third season in Australia. Because Nissan Motorsports has withdrawn, the team will run under Kelly Racing in the future. The Australians also developed the Nissan Altima with the V8 engine from the Patrol.
Only five Nissan podium finishes
However, it is questionable whether all cars of the four drivers were always technically on the same level. Quite apart from the fact that the Nissan Altima was obviously no match for the Ford Falcon (championship win with Scott McLaughlin) and Holden Commodore.
Team owner Rick Kelly won one race, claimed four podium places alongside it and finished the championship in eighth position, better than any Nissan driver in six seasons so far. Simona de Silvestro was far from that despite noticeable progress in her second season.
