Colombian driver Tatiana Calderón returns to the European Le Mans Series (ELMS) in 2023 to compete in the main class, LMP2, for Team Virage.
Tatiana will be back racing in the main European circuits as part of the driver line up of the No.19 LMP2 prototype in six 4-hour endurance events.
The championship had already provided the platform for her debut in endurance racing with the Richard Mille Racing Team in 2020. Three years later she is back with Team Virage, a young team with a very good technical team based in Valencia, Spain.
The championship is made up of four different categories. LMP2 is the top class and is divided into Pro and Pro AM. In the Pro category drivers in each line up are categorized as professionals, according to their FIA license, either Platinum, Gold or Silver. Pro AM includes those teams whose crews have one Bronze driver and two professional drivers, categorized as Platinum, Gold or Silver.
Tatiana will be competing in the Pro AM class alongside Rob Hodes, an American driver categorized as Bronze, and another Latin American, Guatemalan Ian Rodriguez, categorized Silver as Tatiana.
The LMP2 Pro AM class will boast the longest list of entries of the two LMP2 subclasses, with several former Formula 1 drivers in the field, including Juan Pablo Montoya, who will be competing in the same class as Tatiana, alongside his son Sebastian and their Bronze driver.
In addition to LMP2, the LMP3 and LMGTE classes will be sharing the track, adding an extra challenge as negotiating traffic will be key in the race for victory.
The calendar consists of six races starting later this month with the championship prologue, two days of testing on 19 and 20 April in Barcelona, followed by the first race at the end of the week on 23 April. The other venues the championship will visit are Imola in Italy, Paul Ricard in France, before returning to Spain at the Aragon circuit at the end of August for a night race. They will then visit the legendary Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium, before the championship final at Portimao in Portugal at the end of October.
Tatiana's participation this year has once again the support of international multi-platinum artist and pop culture icon Karol G, through her foundation Concora, besides backing from Terpel, AVL RACETECH and Escudería Telmex-Claro who continue to support the Colombian.
Tatiana Calderón: “I can't believe I'm finally back to racing. It has been a very difficult winter, because at times it seemed that no door was opening, but in the end I will be able to take the BICHOTA logo back in the car, carrying the message of the movement that KarolG has started, inspiring more women to fight for their dreams, as she has done with me. I want to thank Terpel, AVL RACETECH and Escudería Telmex too, because without them this wouldn't be possible either. We are going for new challenges this season, more motivated than ever. ELMS is a super competitive championship, the LMP2 car with the full downforce kit as well as the engine mapping that makes it faster than those in the FIA World Endurance Championship is a lot of fun to drive. I’ve already had the opportunity to test with Team Virage and I am very happy with the opportunity they have given me. In Rob and Ian I have two teammates with whom we get along very well and I can't wait to start the new season together.”
TATIANA’S BOOK LAUNCH Tatiana also announces that she will be at the book fair in Colombia (FILBO) on April 28th, for the official launch of the book La Niña Más Veloz Que El Viento, along with Gabriela Cordero, Rey Naranjo and the Corporación Juego y Niñez, a charity to which all the profits from the sale of the book will go to build an education programme free of stereotypes.
The No.19 car will carry the book’s title logo and she will also be sharing with children from schools near the circuit, seeking to generate a change in the current stereotypes, and at the same time celebrating Sant Jordi, a regional holiday in Catalunya where traditionally books are presented as presents.
To get the book in pre-sale you can buy it here: www.reynaranjo.net/tatiana/
The European Le Mans Series races can be followed through its YouTube Channel @EuropeanLeMansSeriesOfficial, for Latinamerica Fox Sports and Direct TV.