Andretti Autosport announced on Thursday, April 2 that Simona de Silvestro will drive the No. 29 TE Connectivity Dallara-Honda in the 99th Running of the Indianapolis 500 in May.
“I’m so excited to be representing TE Connectivity at this year’s Indy 500,” de Silvestro said. “It’s really great that they’re partnering with me in my efforts during the Indy 500, and with their advance technologies in my Honda Indy car, I will for sure have one of the best opportunities to win during the Month of May. I’m really looking forward to racing the No. 29 TE Connectivity car for the 99th Running of the Indy 500.”
de Silvestro will be the fifth entry for AA in the biggest race of the season, joining 2014 Indianapolis 500 Champion Ryan Hunter-Reay, 2013 Indy 500 Rookie of the Year Carlos Muñoz and veteran racers Marco Andretti and Justin Wilson. She ran the season-opener at St. Petersburg for AA, finishing 18th after contact during the race. She has one podium finish (second at Houston in 2013) in 66 starts. The Swiss driver spent last year as a test pilot for a Formula One team.
“Simona did a great job for us in St. Pete and we are excited to add her as a fifth Andretti entry for the Indy 500,” team owner Michael Andretti said. “We could not have found a better partner than TE Connectivity to be the primary sponsor of the No. 29. While their experience in racing is longstanding with their connector and sensor solutions, they are new to the sponsorship team and show great passion for the sport. I look forward to a successful future with TE Connectivity as part of the Andretti family.”
TE Connectivity joined AA in March as the team’s Official Connectivity and Sensor Solutions Sponsor. TE is known for their high-performance technology.
“TE Connectivity’s connectivity and sensor technologies are in every Andretti Autosport Indy car and meet the high performance standards and extreme conditions that Andretti Autosport requires,” Amy Shah, chief marketing officer, TE Connectivity, said. “We’re proud to be associated with Andretti Autosport and Simona de Silvestro, two groundbreaking leaders in motorsports. We believe the No. 29 TE Connectivity car incorporates a potent blend of advanced engineering, one of the world’s most exciting female drivers and deep autosport history that will be exciting to watch at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway this May.”
