After joining the McLaren team, Bianca Bustamante achieved yet another huge milestone. After becoming the first woman to sign under the McLaren Driver Development Program, Bianca became the talk of the town. The driver did the unthinkable as she entered the Formula 1 scene after driving for PREMA Racing this season in F1 Academy.
Bianca Bustamante, a Filipino racer, who recently had her first break in Formula 1, has become a topic of conversation. She was not only in the W-series but also drives in the F1 Academy series. `After Suzie Wolff in 2014, she became the first driver to get her big break in F1.
Bustamante will help McLaren test out their livery for 2024 and will be an active driver in the Development Program. However, her accomplishment as of now has become one for the books. After breaking into F1, she has now had her big break as one of the Top 5 Most Influential Women Worldwide in Motorsports.
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Do you follow any of these drivers on social media? 👀#womeninmotorsport pic.twitter.com/qKJCdxZjA4
— Motorsport.com (@Motorsport) October 27, 2023
This was recorded after Bianca hit 500 K+ followers on Instagram and more than 800K followers on TikTok. Her growing fan base has also shown her love and support at the races and her time in Singapore during the F1 Grand Prix.
The Filipino also talked about her role model, Lewis Hamilton who she had an opportunity to meet after the big news of her paving the path in F1 for women.
Bianca Bustamante left behind on F1 Academy standings
Bianca Bustamante made her name in the sport after her McLaren seat. However, her F1 Academy season left her in the back. Although the Filipino driver was busy making a buzz, her performance was what many wanted to focus on.
Although not the best season, Bustamante managed to win a race at Valencia. She celebrated her victory, however, could not get past her now-champion teammate, Marta Garcia. Nonetheless, until the end, she showed great determination and never backed down from her responsibilities.
#BiancaBustamante (@racerbia) talks about the overwhelming reception to her first F1 Academy win.
Read more about Bianca’s interview with Complex PH here: https://t.co/zGs2qfs03u pic.twitter.com/sWYayumD6c
— Complex PH (@complex_ph) October 26, 2023
As of now, Bianca Bustamante finished P7 on the Championship Standings in F1 Academy. The Filipino will also be continuing to drive for Prema Racing the next season.
Although the championship has come to an end, Bianca will be busy performing her responsibilities at the McLaren headquarters. After the Austin race, she also made an appearance with the McLaren team as she cheered on Lando Norris.
Bustamante also stood in the championship with 116 points and will continue to be with Prema next season. However, her teammate, Marta Garcia took home 278 points by the end of the season and was declared the first champion of the F1 Academy season.