McLaren teen racer Bianca Bustamante looking to make motorsport household name in Philippines
- Motorsport world has its eyes set on the Filipino, who has become the first woman in McLaren’s Driver Development Programme
- ‘There’s still a lack of understanding for the sport [back home] It’s hard to respect the amount of hard work you have to put in,’ she says
The Philippines has found a new sporting sensation in 18-year-old Bianca Bustamante, who has become the first woman to join Formula One team McLaren’s driver development programme.
The teen racer made history with the British firm, which has produced the sport’s biggest names like seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton and rising star Lando Norris.
But Bustamante’s latest career breakthrough highlights her status as one of the most prominent young drivers in the world, despite coming from a country where opportunities in motorsport are few and mostly accessible to the rich.
“Motorsport is not a household sport in the Philippines unlike basketball where families watch the NBA and PBA [Philippine Basketball Association] league every weekend,” said Bustamante, who raced in the F1 Academy Series with Italian team PREMA Racing this year.
“There’s still a lot of lack of understanding for the sport. It’s hard to respect the amount of hard work and craft you have to put in.”
The teen has amassed multiple national and international awards since she started competing in karting events as a six-year-old, and in 2021, Bustamante qualified for the FIA’s girls on track rising stars programme, where she was the lone Asian in the junior and senior categories.
