Simona de Silvestro swaps F1 for bobsleigh, qualifies for 2026 Winter Olympics

Former Formula 1 test driver and IndyCar racer Simona de Silvestro has successfully transitioned to bobsleigh, qualifying to represent Italy in both the monobob and two-woman events at the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics. The Swiss-Italian driver, who tested a 2012 Sauber for Ferrari in 2014, will now compete on ice after a multi-series motorsport career that also included Formula E and V8 Supercars.

Why it matters:

This represents one of the most dramatic and successful cross-sport career changes in recent memory. It highlights the exceptional athleticism and adaptability required of top-tier drivers, proving that skills like reflexes, nerve, and competitive drive can translate from the asphalt to the ice track. Her rapid qualification also challenges the traditional pathways to the Olympics.

The details:

• De Silvestro's motorsport career was diverse but never culminated in a full-time F1 race seat. Her test for the Ferrari-powered Sauber team in 2014 was a notable high point.
• She built a solid reputation in American open-wheel racing, competing in IndyCar from 2010 to 2015 and earning the nickname "Iron Maiden" for her toughness.
• Her switch to bobsleigh began in 2022. Remarkably, she qualified for the Olympics on her first attempt, a testament to her raw talent and rapid learning curve.
• She will compete in two events: the monobob, where a single athlete pilots the sled, and the two-woman bobsleigh, which requires precise synchronization with a brakewoman.

What's next:

De Silvestro will aim for the podium when the bobsleigh events are held in the middle week of the Milano-Cortina Games (February 6-22, 2026). Her journey from the cockpit of a Formula 1 car to the driver's seat of an Olympic bobsleigh is a powerful narrative of reinvention. As she posted on Instagram: "Proof that a little crazy, mixed with belief, can make the impossible real. It all started with a dream that I wasn’t scared to chase!"