Bianca Bustamante, 19, burst onto the scene with two wins during the inaugural F1 Academy season, now she’s been snapped by McLaren as a development driver… and has more than two MILLION followers

Bianca Bustamante hopes to add her name to the list of female drivers looking to compete in a Formula 1 race, but she must first make her mark in this season’s F1 Academy.

In fairness to the 19-year-old, that’s what she’s done since she first stepped into the baby kart her father Raymund bought her when she was just three.

The Filipino driver scored two impressive victories last season in the inaugural season of the sport’s developmental series. In addition, she achieved a podium finish in the first race of the season and was visibly emotional on the podium during the final victory in Monza.

“Being from the Philippines, it meant so much to represent and be there every Filipino around the world.” she said in an interview with McLaren. ‘That’s what it felt like to stand there. It’s one thing to hear that national anthem played, but it’s another thing to hear it played because of you. That’s something I’ll never forget.’

Bustamante’s attempt to make history is fueled not only by her gender, but also by her origins. With the rise of the youth, she has been picked up by the Papaya group as a development engine and has attracted interest and acclaim that is unlikely to diminish given her surprising talent.

F1 Academy, an all-female series under the umbrella of the governing body FIA, was launched in 2023 with a mission to develop women in motorsport and support their quest to reach the pinnacle of the sport.

The list Bustamante wants to add her name to is, well, small. Only two women in F1’s 74-year history have ever had the thrill of pressing the accelerator at ‘lights out’.

Maria Theresa de Filippis was the first, way back in the 1950s before Lella Lombardi completed twelve races and finished sixth in the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix, becoming the only woman to score points in an F1 race to date.

Many female drivers have had a chance since then. The likes of Desire Wilson and Giovanna Amati were part of teams but never started races, while modern fans will be familiar with the high-profile names Danica Patrick and Jamie Chadwick – who may be the first to break that glass ceiling.

Susie Wolff, wife of Mercedes team boss Toto, was on the books at Williams for three seasons from 2012. She is now director of the F1 Academy, where this year 10 of the 15 participants will be supported by another team. the F1 grid.

The eight-time constructors’ champion’s selection of Bustamante was fitting given her reverence for the team and its history. F1 legend Niki Lauda served as inspiration, while phone accessories, a bracelet and even a pair of shoes were decorated with the iconic papaya.

‘This building contains 60 years of history and you can feel it.’ She continued. “All these people I look up to work here and have worked here. It’s incredible to be on the same path as them.

‘I’ve been working towards this moment all my life. Every step I took, every hour in the gym, every day on the track, every lap, worked up to this moment. I have a group of people who believe in me and that helps me move forward.’

Her journey included time at the University of Santo Tomas Angelicum in the STEM and Engineering departments, as well as multiple karting titles starting at the age of five. Bustamante then made the step up to the W Series before joining PREMA Racing and competing in the 2023 Formula 4 UAE Championship, ahead of the F1 Academy.

Her pair of wins helped her achieve a seventh-place finish in the Drivers’ Championship. PREMA teammate Marta Garcia romped to the title ahead of runner-up Lena Buhler, but neither will be a problem this season when the campaign kicks off in Saudi Arabia on Friday.

Both drivers will race in the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine next season. This year the F1 Academy has even introduced a two-season limit for drivers to ensure progression up the junior motorsport ladder.

In total, the calendar sees the drivers compete in seven races, starting in Jeddah and culminating in the Abu Dhabi finale in December. Bustamante, the third-youngest driver on the grid, will race for the ART Grand Prix in a McLaren livery.

However, Bustamante is not just a driver. To her legions of social media followers – there are more than two million on Instagram and TikTok alone – she is a fashion icon, influencer, socialite and much more.

Last year, she was named TikTok Philippines Sports Creator of the Year and according to The Game, she was also recognized as the third most influential female driver based on her social media followers and online searches.

For example, her huge Instagram following is as big as current F1 driver Zhou Guanyu and much bigger than Williams’ Logan Sargent. She has been featured in major fashion magazines such as Vogue Philippines and Lifestyle Asia.

And she can now count on an ever-growing fan base as her career continues its upward trajectory.

“I like talking about this because I like talking about the community that I have,” she added. “Without the people who support me, I wouldn’t be here today, and that’s why I always do my best to give back: to share what it’s like to be an athlete, to be this kid in this crazy world.

‘I used social media to share those journeys, to share the mistakes. I enjoyed the trip and the people supported me much more than I could ever have imagined.

“As a driver you have this amazing platform that you can use to show your values, to show who you are and to preach for the things you believe in. I believe in many good causes, and I believe it takes a village to build a champion.”

Bustamante is still a long way from achieving that ultimate goal of racing in F1, but she’s still only 19 and has enough time, lots of fans and plenty of talent to inspire confidence that she could get much closer than most.