Women Led Paretta Autosport Team To Contest Indy 500

Another Chevrolet-powered team is set to join the NTT Data IndyCar Series, with the newly launched Paretta Autosport outfit confirming a single-car entry for the 105^th running of the Indianapolis 500 today.

The Paretta Autosport effort, spearheaded by automotive and motorsport executive Beth Paretta, will receive technical support from Team Penske as it attempts to qualify for the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” with 32-year old driver Simona De Silvestro. The Switzerland native was the 2010 Indy 500 Rookie of the Year and has five Indy 500 starts to her name with a best finish of 14^th.

Paretta Autosport is an extension of IndyCar’s newly established “Race for Equality & Change” initiative that it announced last summer. In addition to having a female owner and driver, the team will integrate women into key roles to ensure that it provides them with new opportunities, including in competition, operations and administrative roles such as logistics, marketing and public relations.

“Today is the beginning of a commitment to gender equity in sport, to encourage women to work hard so they can earn their seat at the table or spot on the grid,” Paretta said in a prepared statement. “IndyCar has been a leader and a welcoming place for women for many years because of the hard work of many women and men before us, but now we have a stronger commitment with IndyCar’s ‘Race for Equality & Change’ to make sure opportunities continue in the future.”

“I am very excited to have this incredible opportunity to return to Indianapolis and the Indy 500 with Paretta Autosport this year,” added De Silvestro, who has also raced in major series such as the Australian Supercars Series and Formula E. “My career really took off through my time competing in IndyCar and the Indy 500, so returning to compete with Beth and her new team in alliance with Team Penske is a special and rare chance in my career. Being part of the goal of diversity and inclusion for everyone, and especially women in IndyCar, and in motorsports in general, is very important to me and how I would like to see the future of racing.”

The team has not yet announced any partners for the Indy 500 effort apart from Chevrolet. It also released an early draft of its Indy 500 livery this week, which features dark blue, light blue and red elements, along with Paretta Autosport and Chevrolet branding.

The 105^th running of the Indianapolis 500 will be held on Sunday, May 30^th, 2021.

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