Bianca Bustamante attributes success and work ethic to her Filipina heritage
At just 19 years old, Filipina racer Bianca Bustamante is making history in the world of motorsports. As the first female driver in McLaren’s prestigious Racing Driver Development program and as of time of publication, seated at number five in the F1 Academy, Bianca Bustamante is breaking barriers and challenging the status quo in the male-dominated motorsports industry where few women, let alone Asian women, have made their mark.
In a recent interview with Cold Tea Collective, Bianca Bustamante shares about her journey to professional racing on a global level.
Bianca Bustamante is blazing a trail for young Filipina women in motorsport
Growing up in Manila, Bustamante didn’t have many role models in motorsports—especially not from Asia. Her love of racing started at age three when she started go-karting for fun. She shares that had to fight for herself and seize every opportunity because the Philippines is not known for motorsport, but rather than being deterred, she modeled the way.
“In motorsport, I’ve learned to take everything one race at a time, one lap at a time. It’s taught me to value every opportunity and maximize every moment,” she shares.
The professional racer attributes resilience and work ethic to her Filipino heritage. “I’m a dreamer, and I work hard to make it a reality,” she shares.
See also: Formula 1 and Zhou Guanyu – Race for all races
Driven to perform: Bianca Bustamante on track to lead F1 Academy
What drives Bianca Bustamante? The future. “For kids to look and see me in F1 Academy and McLaren, they get to dream and hopefully make those dreams into reality.”
Follow Bianca Bustamante’s racing journey as she prepares for the F1 Academy’s round four race at Zandvoort in the Netherlands from August 23rd to 25th, 2024.
See also: Gold Gala 2024 highlights
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