Meet the Athlete: Tatiana Calderón

April 15, 2025

Shift Up Now fans and supporters, it's time for another round of our brand-new series, “Meet the Athlete.”

Our goal is to tell the Athletes’ stories in a fun Q&A format, so you can get to know each one. That way, you’ll have even more reason to cheer for them, and show your support by being a Shift Up Now Member.

So without further ado, meet Tatiana Calderón!

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I was always passionate about sports, so I knew from a very young age that I wanted to be a professional athlete. I had to choose between tennis, soccer, and motorsport.

Where and how did you get started in racing?

I started racing when I was nine years old, thanks to my sister Paula. She took me to a rental go-kart track near our home in Colombia, and we both fell in love with speed and adrenaline!

Describe how you progressed through your early days to where you are now.

I was incredibly passionate and happy every time we went to the race track. None of my family members had raced before, so we had to learn everything from scratch. I won several karting championships in Colombia before moving to the U.S., where I won the Stars of Karting East Coast Championship in the JICA category. I soon aimed to transition to single-seaters, starting in the U.S. before moving to Europe to pursue my dream of reaching F1. I’ve had the opportunity to compete in F3, F2, Super Formula, IndyCar, WEC, and ELMS, and even served as a test driver in F1. Currently, I’m racing in IMSA in the GTD class.

What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced?

As a woman in a male-dominated sport, it hasn’t been easy to earn respect both on and off the track. Finding sponsors and visibility has been tough, and there’s also the challenge of adapting racing ergonomics and training specifically for women. There’s a common misconception that men and women are the same in this sport, but we are different in many ways. Since there have been so few women in racing, we don’t have enough data to fully understand what works best for us, which has been a significant challenge.

What are some of your greatest achievements so far, or the things you’re most proud of?
  • Becoming the first Latin American woman to drive an F1 car
  • Being the first woman to stand on the podium in British F3 and the Formula 3.5 World Series
  • Becoming the first woman to compete in the F2 Championship
What are you most looking forward to this upcoming year? 

This year, we have a new car—driving the Ford Mustang GT3. It’s an exciting challenge to get to grips with this new machine, and I love challenges. I’m also thrilled to be racing in the U.S. and visiting the amazing tracks there!

What’s your favorite hobby or way to spend your free time, outside of racing?

I love sports in general, so I enjoy playing tennis, water skiing, and grabbing a good cup of coffee.

What’s your “cheat meal” of choice?  

Pizza.

Where are you racing next?  

I’ll be racing in the historic F1 race at Paul Ricard at the end of April, and my next IMSA race will be June 22nd at Watkins Glen.


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