Susie Wolff wants to drive for Williams during the young drivers’ tests

Since 2012, Susie Wolff has been the development driver for the Williams team. Last year, the British team had a reserve driver in the person of Valtteri Bottas who, given his role, was regularly behind the wheel while Wolff had to make do with the simulator.

This season the Finnish driver has been appointed alongside Pastor Maldonado and the team has not named a reserve driver. Susie Wolff hopes to take advantage of the situation by getting more track time in the FW35.

The tests for young drivers are expected to take place at Silverstone in mid-July this season and the young woman told Reuters she hoped to be able to drive the FW35: « For me, the next logical step is to take part in the young driver tests, do well, and then see what the next step will be after that. »

If some think she doesn’t have the level, she believes she has proven her worth both since the beginning of her career – notably during her seven years in DTM and since her arrival at Williams: « There are many people who think it will be embarrassing for me to drive during the young drivers’ tests because I will be far behind in terms of lap times. For me, it’s incredible to hear such comments. I wouldn’t be doing aerodynamic testing if I hadn’t shown some abilities. People forget that we have been present in motorsport at a high level for a long time. It’s not like you were dug out of obscurity and told to ‘drive an F1’. »

Susie Wolff also reaffirmed that Bernie Ecclestone, holder of the commercial rights of Formula 1, was working behind the scenes to help her reach F1, in a not entirely selfless manner: « Bernie says a lot of things in the press but behind the scenes, he does a lot to help me get to Formula 1 because he knows from a business point of view, it needs to happen. »