Tatiana Calderón from Bogota fits perfectly the title of pioneer. At 28 years old, the labels of the first woman to reach a podium in British Formula 3, the first woman to participate in Formula 2, the first woman to compete in the Japanese Super Formula and the first Latin American woman are not enough for her. to drive a Formula 1 car.
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This Sunday, at 12:30 pm (Espn3 and Star+), the Colombian driver will start the Chevrolet engine of car number 11 of the IndyCar and will go down in history as the first woman to drive for the AJ Foyt team, of the legendary North American driver, in the most important single-seater competition in the United States. Additionally, she will be the first woman to run regularly in the major North American series since 2013.
The 14-turn, 2.98-kilometre street circuit of the St. Petersburg Grand Prix in Florida is his first challenge. On that same track, during 2015 and 2016, Juan Pablo Montoya, his benchmark and friend, took the victory. Now it’s his turn.
A few hours after his debut in IndyCar, in which he will run 12 of the 17 tests, Calderón spoke with EL TIEMPO from his natural habitat: a car. Excited, but aware that the series is a goal and at the same time a stop in her dream of reaching Formula 1, the fastest woman in the world, as she has described herself, shared the pride she feels in competing in the United States , the country where his career took off.
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Tatiana Calderón, in the IndyCar Series, is already a reality…
Yes! It is the first time that I am going to compete in such an important category. Running with the people I saw as a child, Scott Dixon and Hélio Castroneves, is spectacular. The expectation to see where I am is immense. We’ve only had two days of testing with the team and they’ve been wonderful, but there’s still a lot to learn. The challenge of the first race, this Sunday, will shed a lot of light on how the season will go.
How did you prepare for the technical demands of the North American series?
I think IndyCar is one of the most demanding races out there. I had to prepare very well physically because we don’t have power steering, as there is in Formula 1, for example. In addition, here one stays about two hours between the car and with a lot of heat. There’s also no halo, so no air gets into the cabin. It’s too hot (laughs).
Until last week you had the opportunity to test the car for two days, how did you feel?
Honestly, both tests were very good. I had never done a long test with this car. I was able to see how the tires wear out and train the pit exits, which here are very different from how they are in Europe, because they happen more often, we fill up with gasoline and we do it almost by burning tires. It’s definitely a different type of race, but with every lap I do I feel more comfortable.
And with the team?
From the beginning they have respected me more than in other categories that I have reached. Everything I have asked for has been given to me. My teammates, Dalton Kellett and Kyle Kirkwood, have been very good to me. For example, Kirkwood has won all the championships he has raced in the lower categories. So if I can be close to or ahead of him that will be great news.
It is worth remembering that you will be the eleventh woman in the history of Indy and the first of AJ Foyt…
Is awesome. I feel very privileged to have this opportunity. IndyCar is one of the ‘big leagues’ and I think that women can do it very well. It is an honor to be able to represent, not only Colombia, but also the female gender in such a competitive and physically tough race. I hope that through my story more girls are encouraged to give motorsports a chance.
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You return to the United States, the country where 12 years ago your career began in what is now the Indy Pro 2000. That’s when you decided that you were going to dedicate yourself to racing.
I have very fond memories of the USA. This is where my career began in both karts and single-seaters. As a teenager I aspired to be in the top category and today I am. I feel that what is happening to me is proof that with work and effort, anything can be achieved. Of course, if I look back, I am a much more complete person now than when I left here. Being in the United States makes me realize that everything I’ve been through has been worth it.
In 2011 they were at an airport with their father when driver Dan Wheldon died after a 15-car crash on an oval track in Las Vegas. Then her father told her: “I never want to see you in an oval again.” He now he will race in the Indy…
Yeah, that’s the big reason I’m not racing any ovals this year. I will only do the permanent circuits and the street ones. We will have to see if there is still an opportunity to try. But I am aware that I still have to gain the trust of my parents to take that step. Let’s see what happens this year and then I’ll see how I convince them for the future (laughs).
Considering that you will only run 12 of 17 races, what is the big goal you have projected for this season?
When you don’t complete the championship, especially without running the Indianapolis 500, it’s very difficult to have a good place in the general classification. Still, being in the top 10 is my goal. You have to see how I am at the beginning, but I will put all my abilities to achieve the goal.
Her compass has always pointed to being the first woman in Formula 1 in more than three decades. Is IndyCar one more stop on that goal?
The fact of being in single-seaters, in the second most competitive category in the world, is a great opportunity for the doors to open. The American market is very strong and it is where Formula 1 has said that it wants to enter with more force. Then they will surely be aware of what happens here. I have no doubts: being in Indycar is one more step towards my dream of reaching Formula 1.
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ANDRES FELIPE BALAGUERA SARMIENTO
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