The first female F1 driver in over 40 years ... ?

For the first time in 43 years, a female driver is poised to race in Formula 1.

Tatiana Calderón is a test driver for the Alfa Romeo Formula 1 team, and this year was signed by BWT Arden to drive for them in the current FIA Formula 2 Championship – the first woman to drive in the championship. The 26-year-old Columbian knew from a young age that she wanted to race cars, having grown up attending races, and taking part in kart racing as a hobby.

Courtesy: Motorsportpic.de

Teammate to the late Antoine Hubert, Calderón is helping to pave the way for a new wave of female drivers – she is an ambassador for the FIA Women In Motorsport Commission, an advocate for Dare to be Different, and is a part of the W series, the ground-breaking racing series for women launched last October. 

There have only been a handful of female drivers who have driven at Formula 1 level, with Desiré Wilson being the only woman to ever win a Formula 1 race, winning at Brands Hatch in the British Aurora F1 championship in 1980. Driven by Desire, published by Veloce, recounts Wilson's incredible and unique career, from grassroots racing, to Formula 1 and the IndyCar World Series, this fascinating story shows that a woman can, and did, fight her way to the top of motorsport. 

Calderón will be staying in Formula 2 for the rest of this year and, if there are no upcoming chances to join Formula 1, she'll seek a sponsor so she can drive in Formula 2 for another year. 

Speaking to Forbes: "My goal is to 100 percent get to Formula 1. I know I can do it. It is just about putting everything together in the right moment."

Our latest Formula 1 books,  Formula One: All The Races – The First 1000 (limited to 1000 numbered copies, exclusively available from our dedicated website) and Formula 1 The Knowledge (signed copies available) contain all the facts, figures and statistics that you could possibly want to know when it comes to Grand Prix racing. And who knows, maybe in future editions of these books, there could be more female drivers appearing in those stats!