Calderón: "I will drive F1 in the Sauber".
TEST DRIVER On Tuesday, the Sauber F1 Team announced the contract extension with Tatiana Calderón. In contrast to 2017, the 25-year-old Colombian should actually make it to her first Formula 1 test drive - at least that's what she's convinced of. We met her for an interview at the Geneva Motor Show. On Tuesday, Tatiana Calderón attended the second Formula 1 test drives of 2018, which begin in Barcelona, and posed [...]
On Tuesday, Tatiana Calderón attended the second Formula 1 test of 2018 starting in Barcelona, posing for the first time in the clothes of the Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team. In the evening, the Hinwil-based team then announced her as a test driver.
According to the press release, her program includes professional training sessions in the race simulator as well as coaching sessions with race engineers at the factory and on site at some Grand Prix weekends. The 25-year-old Colombian from Bogota was already a development driver in 2017, but without having made a concrete contribution - i.e. test kilometers in the C36.
"It's not yet certain when I'll be driving"
This is to be different in 2018. AutoSprintCH met the South American at the Geneva Motor Show on Wednesday, where she gave us more detailed information. "I will drive, that's for sure. But it is not yet finalized when this will be," Tatiana replied when asked if she would actually come to one or the other test drive.
If she does, it's unlikely to be in a current C37 (Antonio Giovinazzi is scheduled as a test driver for that), but in an older model, as Simona de Silvestro was allowed to do in 2014. Tatiana is managed by her sister Paula. Both live in Madrid.
Concentration on GP3 championship with Jenzer Motorsport
For the time being, however, her concentration will be on the GP3 series, which she is contesting with Jenzer Motorsport. "I will only be with the Formula 1 team on weekends when GP3 is not running," Tatiana emphasizes. Especially since she wants to prove in her third GP3 season that she can do more than her previous results indicate.
"I want to fight for podiums and wins," she says firmly. "I will give my best."
This is not dreaming: In September 2017, she finished a good seventh in the first GP3 race at Monza in the rain, which would have guaranteed her a place on the front row of the grid for the second race - unfortunately, she did not get that chance due to its cancellation.
Their racing program and the deal with Alfa Sauber F1 are primarily financed by the wealthy Escuderia Telmex from Mexico. So now two Swiss teams are benefiting from this at the same time.
However, a third team boss from Switzerland has known her the longest. In 2014, she was technically supported and coached in the Formula 3 European Championship by multiple Swiss racing car champion Jo Zeller. She shone with a fifth-place finish in Spa and seven other rankings in the top ten. So she can drive.
