Who is Bianca Bustamante and what is the F1 academy driver’s role McLaren?
BIANCA Bustamante has made major waves in the world of racing.
The motorsport star has fans all over the world as she boasts an impressive following on social media. Here’s what we know.
Born January 19, 2005, Bianca Bustamante is a Filipina racing driver.
Bianca entered onto the karting scene at a young age, competing in competitions since the age of five.
Racing is a passion Bianca shares with her father, but he’s not her only fan.
She has captured the attention of three million followers on her Instagram and TikTok profiles combined, with fans frequently visiting her page to spur her on.
In October 2023, it was announced Bianca would join the McLaren Driver Development programme, representing the team in the 2024 F1 Academy season with ART Grand Prix.
Bianca is the first female driver signed to the McLaren Driver Development Programme.
And the second full-time female driver signed by McLaren after Emma Gilmour.
Bianca often makes light of being a short racing car driver, confessing in a TikTok post on October 5, 2023 that she stands at around 5ft 2inches.
Achievements
Despite Bianca’s height, she’s not short of wins in the world of motorsport.
In March 2024, vehicle rental company Avis ranked Bustamante the third-most influential non-European female racing driver.
Eight months later, SportsPro’s ranked Bianca one of the Most Marketable Athletes In The World of 2024.
Speaking on what it means to her to be mentioned as the only athlete of Filipino nationality on the list, she said: “I’m thrilled to learn that I have been ranked as SportsPro Media’s 64th most marketable athlete of 2024.
“Being listed among other iconic athletes and motorsports talents is something I did not imagine when I began racing as a young kid.
“It’s amazing to see all the hard work turn into results like these – so I can continue to further develop my skills as a driver and further develop my brand for sponsorship opportunities.”
Bianca made history alongside Ella Lloyd in November 2024 as they represented the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team in FE’s first Women’s test.
This was Formula E’s first all-female test “to improve diversity and equality across motorsport”.
Bianca tested the new ‘Gen3 Evo’ electric car – which is 30 per cent faster than current F1 cars.
The McLaren Development Driver placed third, and the duo was praised for how quickly they adapted to the new machinery in their first taste of the all-electric series.
Career timeline
- F1 Academy Round 5 @ Monza, Italy: Race Win 2023
- F1 Academy Round 2 @ Valencia, Spain: First Career Win 2023
- Signs F1 Academy with PREMA: Full Season 2023
- Formula 4 UAE Championship with PREMA: 2x Top-10 Finishes 2023
- W Series: Top Rookie in Driver Standings 2022
- W Series Scholarship Shootout: Winner (Academy Team) 2022
- Selected for FIA Girls on Track: Rising Stars Global Shootout 2021
- 3x Philippines Driver of the Year (Karting): 2020 – 2018
- 3x Macau Kart Grand Prix Winner: 2020 – 2019