Ana Beatriz

Sorry, guys; I'm not talking about Brazilian supermodel Ana Beatriz Barros: this is up-and-comming race driver Ana Beatriz Figueriredo (pictured above), known simply as "Bia", a veteran of the Brazilian Formula Renault Series (with 3 wins to her credit) &  the Team Brazil A1GP squad. Joining the powerhouse FIL team Sam Schmidt Motorsports in 2008, the 23 year-old Brazilian notched 1 win and a further 8 top five finishes to place 3rd in the championship chase. With Raphael Matos moving on to the IndyCar ranks & Richard Antinucci not resigning, Ana has to be looked on as the preseason favorite to take the 2009 FIL title.

Pippa Mann

The 25 year-old Englishwoman is perhaps not the most obvious choice for a successful FIL squad like Panther Racing to make, but perhaps they know something that we (as of yet) don't. By all accounts, Mann has been a competent, and occaisonally strong, presence in her years climving through the various Formula Renault Series ranks, but never notched any victories. That being said, on her first ever visit to the Homestead-Miami oval - for a preseason testing session in March - she topped the time & speed charts, showing that she can adapt quickly to new situations. It will interesting to watch Mann throughout the 2009 season to see how she developes as a driver.

M.I.A. (?)

There were two female drivers in the 2008 Firestone Indy Lights campaign that do not appear to be returning in 2009; at least as far as I can determine as of yet. Switzerland's Cyndie Alleman drove full-time for American Spirit Racing, notching a couple of top-ten & 1 top-five finish. New Zealand's Christina Orr drove in four races for Alliance Motorsports, in what was probably an "audition" for a full-time seat in 2009. Unfortunately, it would appear that she didn't sufficiently impress.         

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