Last updated on .From the section Formula 1

Simona De Silvestro had tested twice for Sauber this season

Sauber have ended their attempts to make Swiss Simona De Silvestro the first woman to race in Formula 1 for nearly 40 years.

Team boss Monisha Kaltenborn said De Silvestro's programme, which had been aimed at a race seat in 2015, was ended "for financial reasons on her side".

Kaltenborn added: "We are sad because everyone really enjoyed working with her and you see the talent she has."

De Silvestro had conducted two tests for Sauber this season.

F1's last female driver Lella Lombardi was the last female Formula 1 driver to race in a grand prix She competed in 17 races, with the last of those in Austria in 1976 Lombardi's best result was finishing sixth in the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix

One of those was at Ferrari's Fiorano test track and another at Spain's Valencia circuit, and the idea had been to find backing for her to race in F1.

De Silvestro spent the previous four seasons racing in the US-based IndyCar series, where she took one podium finish with second place in Houston in 2013.

Sauber are "evaluating different opportunities with her", according to Kaltenborn, who did not give any details.

"She could fit very well into F1. Now we have to wait and see what we can do," Kaltenborn added.