Susie Wolff will have the chance to test her mettle alongside some of Formula One's regular male racers after former champions Williams included her in their test line-up for Silverstone this week.
Wolff, the wife of Mercedes motorsport head and Williams shareholder Toto, will be driving the FW35 car on Friday in a development driver test that has also been thrown open to race regulars to allow Pirelli to test tyres after recent blowouts.
"It's a fantastic opportunity for me, so now it is up to me to prepare myself the best that I can for the day," said the 30-year-old, the only woman currently carrying out such a role, in a team statement. "It's going to be a big challenge. The most important thing is to do a solid, consistent job and to give good feedback to the team to be able to prove I am at the level to compete on a day such as this."
Wolff, from Oban, has already driven a 2011 Williams for a demonstration run at Silverstone and was the first to drive this year's car, in an aerodynamic test at the Idiada facility in Spain in February.
"Most of my work is based in the simulator which is why this day is so important for me," she said. "It will give me a better understanding of what the car is like on track and how that correlates to the simulator, which will also help further develop the work I can do there."
Italian Giovanna Amati was the last woman to try to make the grade in Formula One, but she failed to qualify in her three races in 1992.
By taking part in regular tests and sharing track time with other drivers, including regular racers such as 2007 world champion Kimi Raikkonen, Wolff has advanced further up the F1 ladder than any other female in recent times.
"It is great that we are able to give Susie the opportunity to have a full day behind the wheel of the FW35 following all the hard work and dedication she has put in supporting us at the track and in the simulator," said technical director Mike Coughlan.
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