Tatiana Calderón completed her first IndyCar test with the AJ Foyt Racing team on Tuesday at Mid-Ohio, adding to her already considerable single-seater experience.
The Colombian racer was handed the chance to pilot the #14 ROKiT-backed Dallara-Chevrolet normally driven in the IndyCar Series by Sebastien Bourdais on Tuesday, marking her first outing at the wheel of the American-based championship’s renowned car.
Having spent the Honda Indy 200 race weekend embedded within the AJ Foyt Racing team, Tatiana had the winding, undulating Mid-Ohio track to herself as she turned her first laps at the wheel of the car, which is among the fastest single-seaters in the world.
Unlike her regular Super Formula car, IndyCar machines do not have power steering, making them especially physically demanding to drive.
But with the help of JR Hildebrand, the IndyCar veteran who drove in this year’s Indianapolis 500 for AJ Foyt Racing, and the rest of the team, Tatiana was able to complete 87 laps over the course of the day, more than the equivalent of a race distance, sticking to the primary Firestone ‘black’ tyre compound during a number of race runs.
Tatiana not only came away from the outing satisfied with her performance at the wheel, but also having left a big impression on the whole team.
Tatiana Calderón: “I’m really happy with how my first experience at the wheel of an Indy car went. The team did a great job to bring me up to speed; we took it step-by-step, every time we went out on track we improved, and I think the laptime was pretty good in the end. Overall, it was a great experience – I particularly enjoyed the power of the car and the braking ability, and the Aeroscreen was another new experience for me. I’d like to thank ROKiT and AJ Foyt Racing for a fantastic day and we’ll see what the future holds.”
Tatiana’s focus now returns to her FIA World Endurance Championship campaign with Richard Mille Racing, which continues at Monza on July 16-18.