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Tatiana Calderon has driven a Formula 1 car for the first time in Mexico City, completing just under 100km for a filming day. The Colombian confirmed over the Mexican Grand Prix weekend that she would be getting behind the wheel of the C37 on Tuesday.
She completed four stints on promotional tyres that do not provide the same level of performance that the Pirelli race compounds do. Her test marked her the first woman since Susie Wolff, who took part in free practice one in Silverstone, 2014, to drive a Formula 1 car.
"Driving the Sauber C37 today was an incredible experience," the 25-year-old said. "The power, braking and grip of this car are unbelievable, and I felt very comfortable on track.
"After a few laps, you start getting used to the speed, and I had lots of fun. I want to thank the Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team, Excuderia Telmex, Telcel, Infinitum and Claro for giving me this opportunity today, and trusting me to do the job. This is a day I will remember forever."
Sauber's head of track engineering Xevi Pujolar added: "Tatiana drove a Formula 1 car for the first time today and did a very good job. We are happy to see her perform so well, and once again were impressed by her dedication and work ethic. This event marks a positive step for our sport, and we look forward to seeing Tatiana continue to make progress."
Calderon, who has raced in GP3 for the last three years, confirmed over the weekend that she is working on signing a deal to race in Formula 2 next season. Earlier this year, she recorded a sixth-place finish at Monza, her best result in the series.
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G. Zhou
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Replies (4)
Login to replyf1dave
Posts: 782
Her best result in GP3 is a sixth-place finish, one to watch for sure.
xoya
Posts: 583
Well, as far as I can see, she is better than Fittje and a bit worse than Correa in a same car, so not the worst driver out there.
Obviously chosen for this promo only because of gender, but hey! Females are more attractive and there you have it.
Norbert
Posts: 108
She mentioned the full name and all the major sponsors in her rap. Doing her rock-n-roll duty. I sure hope Vasseur don't make her wear a bikini and stand beside the car. Almost no one gets filmed the first time they drive a formula car where the most important part is them in the car, so definitely it was a modeling job and nothing wrong with that. I heard it’s a good living but, don't string her along. Hope she gets an F2 drive next year. Respect that she said 'W' series would be a step backward for her.
Major Tom
Posts: 152
It a unholy and pathetic partnership of cynical marketing and political correctness gone crazy. All high level motorsport makes massive demands on the body. It's an incredibly physical sport. No one expects women to compete against men in the 100m. Why do people think its possible / reasonable in F1? Good luck to her however.