Tatiana Calderón is without doubt one of the quickest women within the male-dominated world of motor racing. Final 12 months she turned the highest-scoring lady ever in GP3. This 12 months she is going to break into Formula 1 because the official Improvement Driver of the Sauber F1 Staff.

Tatiana talks to The Typewriter about her new position in F1, her objectives in GP3, and her experiences as a feminine racing driver.

karting or single-seaters? ⇒ single-seaters

oval or road circuit? ⇒ road circuit

GP3 or Formula 3? ⇒ GP3

2017 F1 vehicles or 2016 F1 vehicles? ⇒ 2017 F1 vehicles

Monaco or Spa? ⇒ Spa

Indy 500 or 24 Hours of Le Mans? ⇒ Indy 500

Winter Olympics or Summer time Olympics? ⇒ Summer time Olympics

Ed Sheeran or Adele? ⇒ Adele

Twitter or Instagram? ⇒ Instagram

wine or beer? ⇒ wine

Star Wars or Starvation Video games? ⇒ Starvation Video games

Toro Rosso livery or Red Bull livery? ⇒ Red Bull livery

pop music or rock music? ⇒ pop music

cats or canine? ⇒ canine

musical movie or motion movie? ⇒ motion movie

Backstreet Boys or Spice Women? ⇒ Backstreet Boys

Tatiana testing the DAMS GP3 automobile

You drove for Arden Worldwide within the 2016 GP3 season, turning into the highest-scoring lady within the sequence’s historical past with two factors finishes. How completely happy are you together with your season?

It was a season with ups and downs. There have been some actually good moments, like Hockenheim and Monza. I feel you all the time need to take the positives, and that’s that I managed to attain factors twice. However after all I need to do higher. You all the time have to attempt tougher. That’s why I’ll be racing in GP3 once more this 12 months. I’ve some unfinished enterprise.

What areas specifically are you planning to enhance in together with your new crew DAMS?

I’ve sat down with DAMS and we’ve mentioned our plan to work on the areas we predict are the weakest, in order that we will frequently be within the prime ten. I feel it’s gonna be qualifying and preparation within the simulator. Now we have numerous issues to work on throughout testing, however I’m trying ahead to working with DAMS.

How did you land the cope with the Sauber F1 Staff?

I began speaking to them final 12 months after among the good races I did in GP3. We saved shut contact after which on the finish of the 12 months we sat down and mentioned what we might do collectively. I’m extraordinarily grateful for the chance that Sauber, Monisha Kaltenborn, and Scuderia Telmex are giving me. It’s an enormous step up in my profession, and I’m able to work exhausting and profit from it.

You all the time hear that the position of a growth driver consists of plenty of simulator work. What precisely does “simulator work” entail?

Effectively, I haven’t but been to my first simulator session with Sauber as a growth driver. However the work we normally do in GP3 is studying the circuits, getting the references, and dealing in your driving. With Formula 1 you have got extra expertise. You’ll be able to add setup modifications to the simulator after which that can assist the crew as nicely.

It’s a complete new world for me: the expertise, the engineers, the those that work in Formula 1 — it’s unbelievable. The quantity of data they’ve obtained is unreal. It’s lots to be taught and to filter, however I’m actually trying ahead to the problem so I’ll be prepared when a chance exhibits up. It’s all about getting the expertise.

How carefully will you be working with Sauber’s common drivers Marcus Ericsson and Pascal Wehrlein?

I hope I can be taught as a lot as attainable from them. With the simulator periods, one of many race drivers will most likely do it at some point after which I’ll do it the next day. However it’s nonetheless to be outlined. I’ll be becoming a member of them for a few of their races — the debriefs and so on.

Are exams in Sauber F1 vehicles attainable for you even if in case you have no superlicence but?

Sure, it’s attainable within the Pirelli Younger Driver Take a look at for somebody who has no superlicence to drive an F1 automobile. [The superlicence points system] can be why I selected to do GP3. So yeah, it’s on the desk to check the Sauber F1 automobile.

Sauber and Williams are the 2 groups which have most lately labored with feminine racing drivers and each groups are led by a girl — Monisha Kaltenborn and Claire Williams respectively. Do you suppose that truth influenced their choice?

I feel it helps, however I don’t suppose it’s the one purpose. It might be a coincidence. However it’s good to have extra ladies in motorsport as a result of I know how could be very troublesome. I sit up for studying as a lot as I can from [Monisha and Claire]. For instance for Monisha to be there she should have gone via robust occasions and she or he’s on prime of it, so I’ve obtained numerous issues to be taught from her.

Many individuals examine your new position with Carmen Jorda’s {position} at Lotus/Renault. What’s your response to individuals who say that you simply solely obtained the contract due to your gender, not due to your expertise?

To be utterly trustworthy I don’t actually care what folks suppose. I’m right here as a result of I deserve it, as a result of I’ve been working actually exhausting to get this opportunity. My objective is to race in Formula 1, and nobody goes to offer me a race seat only for being a girl. You might want to earn it, you have to show your self, and that’s what I’m right here for. I’m simply grateful for this primary step, this primary alternative. I’m able to benefit from it.

What does your new position as Dare To Be Totally different ambassador entail?

It’s an enormous privilege. I’m honored to be named as a Dare To Be Totally different ambassador. I’ve been a part of the neighborhood because it began and I feel it’s an excellent initiative from Susie Wolff to offer one thing to the subsequent technology; not solely from drivers, however from all areas of the game. I’ve one other ambassador within the crew with Ruth Buscombe [senior strategy engineer at Sauber], who I’m actually completely happy to work alongside. It’s an excellent initiative to showcase, to attach, and to encourage.

Tatiana in GP3 with Arden in 2016

Danny Watts simply turned the primary high-profile racing driver from Europe to return out as gay. He mentioned that ‘’there have been sufficient homosexual jokes and homophobic slurs to go round’’ within the paddock. As a feminine racing driver you belong to a different minority group throughout the motorsport neighborhood. Did you ever come throughout any misogynist jokes or slurs?

No, to be trustworthy. I imply after all there’s all the time individuals who make jokes whenever you park your automobile or when you have got some kind of accident. However apart from that I haven’t actually had any points with that.

What’s your opinion on grid women? Do you suppose it’s an old style idea or do you suppose it’s an excellent custom that ought to be saved?

In fact it’s a practice, however you’ll be able to argue in opposition to it. I feel it ought to be half/half, however it’s troublesome to select a facet.

Simply how inclusive is the world of motorsport these days?

Instances are positively altering. Now we have had nice ladies like Simona De Silvestro and Susie Wolff; they have been prepared to leap within the [F1] automobile. Typically the chance didn’t present up on the proper time, however with Dare To Be Totally different, with the FIA Ladies In Motorsports, I feel they’re opening doorways for ladies. I’m completely positive we will do the job and hopefully I’ll be the subsequent feminine driver in Formula 1. That’s my intention. Perhaps there’s a bit of enhance that we nonetheless have to get that final door open.