Despite the lack of live coverage for the inaugural season of the all-female F1 Academy, avid motorsport fans will be well aware of the impact the series is having on getting more females into the world of motor racing. And, although we still seem a long way off seeing a female race in Formula One, the F1 backed series is looking to improve the chances.
This first season of F1 Academy was dominated by Spanish driver; Marta Garcia, but despite finishing the season in seventh, Bianca Bustamante was the one to make herself a household name and the one to watch for 2024.
There is no denying that F1 Academy, this season, has been riddled with talent, with many drivers displaying their race craft and consistency to a high level. So, why are we singling out Bustamante?
Bianca's road to becoming a racing driver hasn't been an easy feat, hailing from a country that's not as rich as others, with little motorsport history and the perception that a woman's place should be at home, with the family, rather than out on a race track. However, the young Filipina defied the odds, amassing numerous karting championships before getting a chance in single seaters in the, now defunct, W Series. This was an opportunity of a lifetime for Bustamante, which has since helped her evolve her racing career, landing her a seat in the highly anticipated F1 Academy where she made history.
Valencia, 2023. Bianca Bustamante takes the win in race two of the F1 Academy weekend at the Circuito Ricardo Tormo after starting on pole position and dominating the race. This was her first win as a professional race car driver and the win that made her a prevalent figure, not only in womens motorsport, but also in the Philippines as a whole, as the first Filipina winner of F1 Academy and the first Filipina to win an FIA sanctioned race. She followed this up with a second win in Monza, later on in the year.
But after numerous podiums and point finishes in 2023, what's next for the driver that's had to fight her way in motorsport?
In mid-2023, an announcement was made that all F1 teams will need to back one driver in each F1 Academy team for the duration of the 2024 F1 Academy season. For Bustamante, she was the first driver to be announced for 2024, while being backed by McLaren, as she joins their driver development programme. A big step in the world of female motorsport.
"We don't want anyone who just wants to be a race car driver. We want people to want to be World Champion."
That is what McLaren CEO - Zac Brown, said on the signing of Bustamante to the development programme. It's evident, that in only her second year of single seaters, people are seeing the potential of a promising talent.
In the meantime, Bianca knows "that we’re gonna accomplish a lot more in the future." And, she starts with the Formula 4 race at the Macau Grand Prix weekend in mid-November, before the return of F1 Academy in 2024. However, her goal will always be Formula One.
"I will always say that my goal is to be in Formula 1. Always has been. That’s why I put in so much dedication, love, heart, [and] passion into every single thing I do in motorsport because it really is my goal. And I think we’re in the right spot, right time, right moment, and I really do believe that when everything comes together that it is a possibility.” - Bianca Bustamante.
(Quotes taken from several online resources.)
コメント