Tatiana Calderon, a three-seater with a single seat, will compete in all street and circuit road races for the 2022 season. The team is looking for a driver to replace her in the cockpit on the oval circuit.
Canadian Dalton Kellett and American Indy Lights series champion Kyle Kirkwood are the other drivers on the team.
Calderon fills in a stark Indycar shortage. You have to go back to 2013 to find a full-time registered pilot. It was the Swiss Simona de Silvestro.
The Swiss driver also participated in the 2021 Indianapolis 500 with the Paretta Autosport team, but it was a project focused on the Indy 500.
Calderon is the first driver to be entered by AJ Foyt, the four-time Indianapolis 500 winner, now 87.
AJ Foyt enabled pilot Janet Guthrie to qualify for the Indy 500 in 1976, by loaning her one of his singles seats.
Calderon, 28, has spent the past two seasons in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) with Richard Mille Racing’s all-female crew.
With teammates Betsky Visser and Sofia Florsch, she finished 13th at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2020 and 6th at the 8 Hours of Portimão in 2021.
Richard Mille Racing’s Oreca 07 Gibson drove Tatiana Calderon, Sofia Florsch and Betsky Visser in the World Endurance Championship (WEC).
Photo: Getty Images / Dean Mouhtaropoulos
The Colombian also raced in the Super Formula in Japan and was part of the Alfa-Romeo-Sauber F1 team for four years as a test driver.
Colombian Tatiana Calderon, test driver for Alfa Romeo Sauber.
Photo: Sauber-Alfa-Romeo
Tatiana Calderon made her first drive in the #14 Chevrolet for the AJ Foyt Racing Team in July 2021. She will be shooting in Sebring, Florida this week.
The dream of being able to join Indycar this season has come true, I’ve been thinking about it since my debut in the US Formula class 11 years ago.
The reaction of the Colombian pilot born in Bogota.
I am aware of the challenge. But an opportunity like this doesn’t happen every day, she admits, and I intend to seize it.
The Indycar season begins this weekend on February 27 at Street Circuit in Saint Petersburg, Florida.
Natalie Sinclair is a contributor at Vaughantoday.ca, covering a wide range of topics including local news, politics, business, technology, sports, entertainment, and lifestyle. She focuses on delivering clear, accurate reporting and useful information that helps readers stay informed about current events and issues that matter to their communities. Her work highlights timely developments, relevant stories, and practical insights in a professional and reader-friendly manner.