Pangasinense is first female driver in McLaren history
AN eighteen-year-old girl with roots in Mabini town has made history by becoming the first female driver in McLaren’s history to join the McLaren Driver Development Programme.
According to formula1.com, Bianca Bustamante is set to represent McLaren on the 2024 F1 Academy grid and will soon be racing for ART Grand Prix. She will be a part of “Team Papaya,” a moniker for the McLaren team due to its distinctive orange uniform as a tribute to Bruce McLaren, a renowned New Zealander racing car designer, driver, engineer, and inventor.
Bustamante joins the team’s talent pool with the aim of progressing towards Formula 1, IndyCar, and Formula E. Formula 1 is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars while the IndyCar series is the highest class of regional North American open-wheel racing in the USA.
Formula E is a single-seater motorsport championship for electric cars.
This program is designed to support promising young racers, to help them refine their skills as they progress into the most prestigious racing events worldwide.
In an interview, Bustamante expressed her disbelief at being associated with McLaren.
“I still have a hard time seeing my name next to McLaren without getting emotional, as the history and heritage linked to this team leaves me truly speechless,” she said.
Before joining the McLaren family, Bustamante completed her first year in the F1 Academy in September 2023, then joined the F1 Academy’s Prema Racing team in February and secured her first title just three months later in Valencia, Spain. She is scheduled to finish her F1 Academy season in Austin, Texas.
Bustamante’s connection to her hometown, Mabini, remains strong. She visited Mabini on August 30, 2022. From a young age, she has been a passionate fan of racing and began competing in karting events, both locally and internationally, starting at the age of six after discovering her love for the sport at age 3.
Bustamante’s inclusion in the McLaren roster solidifies her status as a rising star in the racing sports industry. (Ahikam Pasion)
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