Simona de Silvestro has confirmed that she will be leaving HVM Racing and joining KV Racing Technology, putting her alongside Tony Kanaan in 2013.

“I'm really excited to be joining KV Racing Technology," said the 24-year-old Swiss native on Tuesday afternoon, having already tested with the team at Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama on Monday. "It's never easy to make a change like this, but I'm confident that it's the right move for me going forward," she admitted.

"I do want to thank Keith [Wiggins] and HVM Racing for helping me gain a ton of experience these last three years [but] now it's time to move on and look forward to next season," she added. "The other team was like a family, but it was time for a change, and this opportunity made a lot of sense. You have to get used to working with new people, especially when you've been somewhere three years with the same people. But yesterday, it was fun and we had a good test for the first time together."

"We are delighted to announce Simona to KV,” said KV Racing co-owner Jimmy Vasser. “She has shown a lot of determination and to now be able to work with someone as experienced as Kanaan will be a huge asset for her."

"I am very happy to welcome Simona to KV Racing Technology," agreed the team's other principal co-owner, Kevin Kalkhoven. "I have been watching her race for many years and she shows tremendous talent.

"I think we will really see this on the road/street courses and having Tony as a teammate will provide her a wealth of information, so I am excited for what the 2013 season will hold," he added.

It will be the first time that de Silvestro will have had the help and support of having a team mate in IndyCar, after having previously been with the single car outfit HVM Racing since her début in the series in 2010.

"I think it's going to be great having Tony as a teammate," she said. "In my career, I've always been by myself. I think having data and having someone like Tony on the team will really help me. Tony and I get along really well. He has lot of experience knows a lot about the car and racing. Having him as a teammate is really important, and I'm going to learn a lot from him."

De Silvestro also confirmed that she will be taking her sizeable personal sponsorship backing from Entergy Nuclear, AREVA and the Nuclear Clean Air Energy campaign with her from HVM to KV Racing.

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