Female Racer in F1 Takes One Step Closer With Calderon F2 Deal

[Paul Jeffrey]

Tatiana Calderon has secured a drive with the Arden Formula 2 team for 2019, bringing the prospect of a female Formula One racer one step closer to reality.

Talented driver Tatiana Calderon has announced a deal to compete with the Arden Formula Two team for the 2019 racing season, joining the established outfit in the Formula One support category as she looks to increase experience ahead of her goal of securing a Formula One drive in the near future.

Already a junior driver in the Alfa Romeo Formula One programme, Calderon, 25, has spent the past three seasons racing in GP3 alongside her Grand Prix duties with the former Sauber outfit, and now looks to make the step up with the Arden squad for the coming season.

With Formula One not having had a female racing driver since the short lived career of Giovanna Amati in the early 1990's, Calderon has taken another important step forward in her ambitions to join the Grand Prix elite in the near future. Despite a difficult couple of years in the junior formula, the Columbian driver has shown flashes of promise throughout her career, including impressing Sauber during her brief test last season at the Mexican Grand Prix venue. With this new deal now in the bag, it could well be sooner than we think when we see a female racing driver taking to the world circuits in Formula One racing.

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[DrPenguin87]

Very pleased with this. I've been following her career closely the past few years and think she has great potential and is somewhat underrated. On track she's spent a lot of time fighting in a pack and she has more than held her own, often being able to win the battle and move towards the next car. Her attitude seems good, and she shows a good understanding and the curiosity a racing driver needs.

 

[callumjtc]

Very pleased with this. I've been following her career closely the past few years and think she has great potential and is somewhat underrated. On track she's spent a lot of time fighting in a pack and she has more than held her own, often being able to win the battle and move towards the next car. Her attitude seems good, and she shows a good understanding and the curiosity a racing driver needs.

Of course it's always great to get female drivers into the sport, however I always would say they must be a quality driver that deserves to be there. A glance through her results does not present much of an impression of Tatiana, and I wonder is that car limited or what? Because a 16th placed championship finish does not suggest a promotion to F2.

 

[callumjtc]

After taking a closer look into her history the results stopped once she moved to single seaters, her karting and Mazda resume is rather impressive, maybe she can recapture some of that in F2?

 

[billymitchell]

Because a 16th placed championship finish does not suggest a promotion to F2.

Maybe she's got some connections higher up the food chain.

 

[larre90]

I wonder, how many talents got rejected to make this political statement.

If she would be on a level with Daniel Ticktum or Mick Schumacher, there would be no problem, but she isn't on that level, obviously.

 

[BP]

I wonder, how many talents got rejected to make this political statement.

If she would be on a level with Daniel Ticktum or Mick Schumacher, there would be no problem, but she isn't on that level, obviously.

 

[Chiwi]

I wonder, how many talents got rejected to make this political statement.

If she would be on a level with Daniel Ticktum or Mick Schumacher, there would be no problem, but she isn't on that level, obviously.

Not like Sean Gelael, Giuliano Alesi, Juan Manuel Correa, Lafiti, Matsushita, Deletraz, Guanyu Zhou ect who are potential F1 drivers.....

 

[callumjtc]

Maybe she's got some connections higher up the food chain.

Very possible, or even likely.

 

[NewOne0]

I'm happy for her, hope she will be successful and pave the way for more women in higher racing series, especially the F1, eventually. Sophia Floersch is another very interesting talent.

I wonder, how many talents got rejected to make this political statement.

Every time someone who isn't a straight white man gets any kind of promotion or spotlight, it's cavemen like you who then put on the tinfoil hats, babbling about how many (white male) "talents" were "rejected" due to "political statements". It's ridiculous. [mod edit]

 

[Andrew King]

hope she's good enough, if not I hope she doesn't get further special treatment

 

[Dobermann92]

She could have a chance in one of the lower budget F1 teams for at least a year or two. She should improve a lot till then, but I'm much more supportive of her than for the W Series, because she is trying to be more competitive the usual way, not the special one.

 

[OZ67]

I'm happy for her, hope she will be successful and pave the way for more women in higher racing series, especially the F1, eventually. Sophia Floersch is another very interesting talent.


Every time someone who isn't a straight white man gets any kind of promotion or spotlight, it's cavemen like you who then put on the tinfoil hats, babbling about how many (white male) "talents" were "rejected" due to "political statements". It's ridiculous, fuk off.

So stating facts is suddenly a color issue Hmm, you must be a brainwashed leftist, don't let facts get in the way of a good White racist SJW story I've got a feeling that NewOne0 Is a White SJW they usually hate themselves lol.

Back on Topic, I hope she does Well

 

[bm91]

I'm happy for her, hope she will be successful and pave the way for more women in higher racing series, especially the F1, eventually. Sophia Floersch is another very interesting talent.


Every time someone who isn't a straight white man gets any kind of promotion or spotlight, it's cavemen like you who then put on the tinfoil hats, babbling about how many (white male) "talents" were "rejected" due to "political statements". It's ridiculous. [mod edit]

We don't need social justice warriors here...

 

[Constantin Grimminger]

Of course it's always great to get female drivers into the sport, however I always would say they must be a quality driver that deserves to be there. A glance through her results does not present much of an impression of Tatiana, and I wonder is that car limited or what? Because a 16th placed championship finish does not suggest a promotion to F2.

She's definetly not one of those outstanding talents like Max Verstappen, Gasly, Norris or Russell. But as you might noticed, results don't say it all. She was definetly quicker then her car in 2014, was always in the upper third in 2015 (if she had a normal race), but ever since she seemingly struggled, may it be stumbling over teams (DAMS), rivals or herself. Guess once she got that sorted she will have the results she deserves and could be up there for a solid front midfield spot, which is more then quite a lot of others will ever achieve.

If she's actually F1 material though has to be judged by everyone for themselves.

 

[Jonny Austin]

As others have pointed out Calderon is not there purely on merit but I dont think this does much harm to the sport overall when there have been a few wealthy pay drivers in both race & test seats over the years.It probably is a numbers game so the more female racers out there the more females will want to compete & eventually one will be fast enough to race in F1.It is likely that that female has not been born yet.

The next female star driver will be Hailie Deegan in Nascar.She has the backing from Monster,Toyota & comes from a racing family.The family has a pretty good Youtube channel.

 

[callumjtc]

She's definetly not one of those outstanding talents like Max Verstappen, Gasly, Norris or Russell. But as you might noticed, results don't say it all. She was definetly quicker then her car in 2014, was always in the upper third in 2015 (if she had a usual race), but ever since she seemingly struggled, may it be stumbling over teams (DAMS), rivals or herself. Guess once she got that sorted she will have the results she deserves and could be up there for a solid front midfield spot, which is more then quite a lot of others will ever achieve.

If she's actually F1 material though has to be judged by everyone for themselves.

You have a point, and I won't judge her until she has a proper chance to succeed, though I do believe she has been beaten by all her single seater team mates? Please correct me if I'm wrong of course

 

[Mark Ratzenbacher]

Even if she is not "there," there are many drivers, especially in F1, who are not the top drivers in the world.

A special treatment to bring her into the F1 in the future, therefore, does not differ from that of [insert rich-fathers-son name here]

 

[dave kirk]

Ridiculous, I mean even a pay driver has far superior results to this, I understand they want a female F1 driver on the grid but surely it's gonna backfire in a huge way if they aren't good enough

 

[Vic Flange]

Jamie Chadwick is a better prospect.