Double R Racing’s Tatiana Calderon is primed for a positive final outing in the 2013 Cooper Tires British Formula 3 International Series on Germany’s legendary Nurburgring Grand Prix circuit (21-22 September).
The Colombian lady racer was somewhat underwhelmed by her results in the series’ most recent outing on the world-famous Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit five weeks ago, but was determined to push on ahead of the climax to the 2013 season at the Nurburgring.
In its original ‘Nordschliefe’ configuration, the Nurburgring stretched for 14 miles through Germany’s Eifel mountains and earned a notorious reputation for claiming the lives and egos of some of motorsport’s greatest names.
‘The Green Hell’, as it was known, was finally deemed unfit for purpose in the 1980s and its replacement came in the form of the current 5.14km Grand Prix layout.
While significantly shorter than its predecessor, the modern circuit remains a formidable adversary that combines both slow, technical sections with fast sweeping turns.
Calderon’s most recent outing in an F3 car took place in the shadow of the Nurburg castle in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship.
The 20-year old used her prior knowledge and experience of the German circuit to full effect, continually edging towards the front-running pace as the weekend progressed.
She fought harder and higher up the order than ever before to boost her confidence ahead of Rounds 10, 11 and 12 – the season finale – of the British F3 International Series.
And, having spent the last five weeks relaxing with family and friends in her native Colombia, while also courting the country’s media, a rejuvenated Calderon is keen to conclude her maiden F3 season with some solid results.
“It’s true that I didn’t have my best results in the previous British F3 round at Brands Hatch, but I’m still learning,” said Calderon. “On the other hand, I had one of my best weekends in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship at the Nurburgring in August and, while we’ll be racing on the longer, more challenging Grand Prix layout this time, I’m really looking forward to returning.
“I think we should arrive with a good base setup, as we found some interesting things at last week’s Hockenheim test. There will still be a lot to learn and we expect the weather to be unpredictable, but we’ll be ready for whatever challenges come our way. As always, the goal is to get closer to the front, improve on our previous performances and keep learning every time we go out on track. I’m really happy to have been part of the prestigious British F3 championship, which has been the training ground for so many Formula 1 drivers. I’ve learnt a lot while competing in the series and I really hope to finish the year well.”
The first British Formula 3 International Series free practice session is scheduled to kick off proceedings at 9.00 on Friday (20 September), while second practice and qualifying will take place at 11.40 and 14.25 respectively. Meanwhile, Rounds 10 and 11 get underway at 10.50 and 16.10 on Saturday (21 Septemer), with the final race of the 2013 season at 8.30 on Sunday (22 September).
For all the latest news and updates on Tatiana Calderon’s racing activities, please like her Facebook page or follow @TataCalde on Twitter.
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