Tatiana Calderon clinches victory at 3H de Costa Rica
- RACERS
- 1 hour ago
- 4 min read
With a masterful drive at the 3 Horas de Costa Rica, Tatiana Calderón secured GTS Light class victory with decisive overtakes in the #91 Porsche 992 GT3 Cup car shared with Sergio Solis to close her 2025 season on a high.
An international grid gathered for the 3 Horas de Costa Rica, the final event of the GT Challenge de las Américas, attracting several high-profile names and bringing top-level GT machinery to Central America.
Among the highlights was Tatiana Calderón, one of the most recognisable figures in international motorsport. With extensive single-seater experience up to FIA Formula 2, including duties as an F1 test driver, as well as prototype outings in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, ELMS and most recently IMSA in the GT3 machinery, the Colombian entered the season finale after a 2025 campaign primarily focused on her North American GTD program. Calderón wrapped up her season in Costa Rica driving a Porsche 992 GT3 Cup car in the GTS Light category, sharing the #91 with Sergio Solis. The duo lined up ninth overall.
The opening 1h15m heat got underway with a strong launch from the #91 crew, with Solis climbing to seventh overall before he ceded an overall position to the recovering Danny Formal, who had been forced to start from the back following a major practice crash on the main straight that heavily damaged his Lamborghini Huracan. Solis settled into eighth overall and second in GTS Light, trailing the #13 Porsche of Paquette/Palttala by a few seconds.
By lap 10 Solis was gaining tenths on the class leaders, while also keeping the Ferrari of Michelini, closing to within a second, behind. Calderón's teammate managed traffic cleanly to rebuild a small buffer, though Paquette/Palttala extended their advantage over the next sequence of laps.
Drama followed on lap 24 as the #43 Lexus of Narji/Llibre stopped on track, triggering a safety car. Solis moved up to seventh overall as the field bunched together, with the race resuming on lap 34. Despite another stranded car moments later, the race remained green. Following the pit cycle, the #91 rejoined five seconds behind Paquette/Palttala, while Michelini briefly cycled into the class lead.
Now behind the wheel, Calderón soon overtook the #13 Porsche to reclaim second in class, pulling away steadily, while Michelini emerged ahead after their stop. A further caution on lap 58, caused by a crash for the #88 Porsche Cayman GT4 of Michael Albanese, bunched up the field once more, bringing Calderón directly onto the tail of the #42 Ferrari.
Racing resumed on lap 63. Calderón immediately attacked Michelini, closing to under one second and maintaining intense pressure through consistent lap times. In a tight duel, she executed a decisive pass with 30 seconds left in the first session, taking the GTS Light class win for Heat 1.
Just over an hour later, cars lined up again at Parque Viva circuit for the second and final heat, held before a large Costa Rican crowd. Starting sixth overall and leading the GTS Light category, Solis and Calderón aimed to convert their advantage.
At the rolling start, Solis defended the inside line into Turn 1 and held the class lead, though Michelini remained within half a second, with Palttala close behind. Palttala eventually passed Michelini for second and began pressuring the #91.
On lap 15, a fierce three-car battle for the class lead saw Palttala using traffic to go three-wide and completing a move for the top spot. When Zachary Boodram slowed in the #46 Lamborghini Huracán, both GTS Light leaders gained an overall position. Solis survived a close call with a McLaren GT3 and, despite losing an overall place to the #25 Mercedes-AMG GT3, held second in class.
Palttala also had a near miss with a lapped Ferrari just as pit stops approached. Solis pitted on lap 33, handing the #91 back to Tatiana Calderón, who rejoined just behind the #42 Ferrari of Michelini, which had jumped ahead during the cycle. With the Paquette/Palttala Porsche now around 10 seconds ahead, Calderón immediately set off in pursuit, gaining a full second on lap 37.
Preparing to attack Michelini, Calderón’s charge was briefly interrupted when Luis José MarÃn’s Dodge Challenger stopped on the back straight, prompting a safety car. Once racing resumed, the field barely compressed before sprinting away again; Calderón resumed her assault, engaging in a long, intense duel with Michelini before forcing a small error at the final corner and completing a brilliant overtake at Turn 1 on lap 53.
The prolonged fight had allowed Paquette/Palttala to escape, but Calderón, in clean air, began lapping in the 57.2s, reducing the gap with strong pace in the final 20 minutes.
Another twist came when the #57 Hyundai of Vincenti lost its front-left wheel and stopped on the racing line, bringing out another safety car. With 13 minutes remaining, Calderón faced lapped cars between herself and her rival. She dipped under the 57-second barrier and continued to gain time despite traffic.
In the closing minutes, Paquette hit trouble and with a string of rapid laps, Tatiana Calderón crossed the line as the GTS Light class winner, securing victory in both heats. It was an impressive performance marked by clean racecraft, decisive overtakes and solid pace for the Colombian star.
Calderón shone in this Central American endurance classic and will look to carry this momentum into securing a full-time program for 2026.
