F1 Academy driver Bianca Bustamante on life in the fast lane

Almost half a year after her success in the F1 Academy, Bianca Bustamante has signed with Formula One team McLaren as a member of the driver development program.

She is the first female driver to join the British team's development program, and she will represent McLaren on the 2024 F1 Academy grid and run their livery.

"This is such an unreal moment in my career. To sign with McLaren and ART Grand Prix is way beyond anything I could've ever imagined growing up racing karts in the Philippines," Bustamante said in a statement on McLaren's website.

"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."

Academy achievements

In May 2023, Bustamante won her first race in the F1 Academy, winning the second of three races in Valencia.

"When I won, it was like the whole world suddenly exploded," Bustamante told DW in June.

The 18-year-old received a message from the president of the Philippines, had a resolution voiced on the country's senate floor and saw her face splashed across an enormous billboard on the busiest street in Manila.

"I honestly didn't know how to react. I wasn't expecting the effect would be this much. It was really a crazy moment for me. To experience all this stuff at 18, sometimes I think it's a bit too much," she said.

It would be easy to dismiss this response as classic athlete hyperbole, but Bustamante's journey to this point explains why the tears flowed, and the country celebrated when the teenager stood on the podium.

Hard road to glory

Her father, a motorsport fanatic, bought Bustamante her first suit when she was just 1. She was in a baby race cart by age three, and at just six years old, Bustamante knew a life in motorsport was what she wanted.

"Financially, it definitely wasn't easy for us. You know, coming from the Philippines, we're a very middle-class family. My dad is actually an overseas worker. He moved away when I was young just so he could support the family and put food on the table," she said.

"The fact that I was racing, it was really, really difficult for the whole family. We made a lot of sacrifices, sometimes you might say too many. That's why I've always felt like I've had to pay them back."

Many aiming to be in professional sports say failure isn't an option, and yet, for one of myriad reasons that make being a professional athlete so hard, never make it. Like them, Bustamante never had a prom or sleepovers and has been home-schooled for most of her life. A lot of what makes a typical childhood has been missing.

"Five, seven years ago, we were just struggling to even pay for the entry fee, fuel, tires. It made for a difficult road, and because of that, I needed to really value every time I was just able to drive, to race because I never really knew when it would be the last time."

Life hasn't been easy for Bustamante, but one mantra has helped her through: "When life's tough, you've got to be tougher."

That approach has helped her go from karting glory as a child to the top rookie in the W Series [an all-female single-seater championship] last year. In 2023, she is set to finish in the top 7 of the 2023 F1 Academy racing for Prema Racing — the starting point for many F1 talents such as Ferrari's Charles Leclerc.

Family support key to success

To be here is a testament to Bustamante's determination, but even now, on the biggest stage, home remains a long way away. "Other drivers have a home to go to after the race, but for me, home is a bit too far, so I'm often by myself," she told DW.

"There's a lot of moments where you kind of have a crash. You have so much adrenaline during a race weekend, and then suddenly, you're back to being by yourself. It's one of the struggles."

It's a poignant reminder of the mental fortitude needed when competing at the highest level. Family support helps, perhaps none more so than the bond she shares with her brother.

"I have a brother, and he has autism and Down syndrome. I think having him really taught me how to not only think of myself but to be very selfless with a lot of things because, with him, I've always had to be selfless with moments where I needed to be very patient, forgiving when he would throw tantrums," Bustamante said, adding that after her win in Valencia, her brother was one of the first people she called.

"And I think that's why I've always been really, really patient with life, dealing with difficulties, losing, progress, patience just with everything. With that comes a lot of maturity. To not act on your emotions, or what's around you or in the moment, it really takes a lot of self-control and discipline."

It's no surprise that her end goal is to join the biggest show in motorsport.

"The end goal for me is making it to Formula One. That's my Everest," Bustamante told DW. "Everything I'm doing is to hopefully make it there."

Big dreams

Last year at Hungaroring, Bustamante got a taste of the big show when she met seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton. The two bonded over the similarities of their journeys, two aspiring drivers who didn't look like anyone on the grid. For the teenager, the meeting was "a moment she'll always cherish," and she credits Hamilton as one of the original supporters of the existence of the F1 Academy.

"Lewis has always supported women in motorsport. He was one of the first few people who really stood up for it and said: 'We need to have an initiative to support women.' Looking back five years ago, there wasn't even an initiative for women in the sport," she said.

"The fact that now, it's not just about us drivers, but even engineers like McLaren launching their new women program for STEM engineers — that's amazing," Bustamante said, referring to the science, technology, engineering and math courses that lay the foundation for a career in motorsport. The teenager has herself specialized in STEM and was, as of early June, on the verge of graduating.

By securing a deal with McLaren, Bustamante has not just taken a huge step towards realizing her goal of being on the F1 grid at some point in the future, but she's also paved the way for women in motorsports and in the Philippines. Bustamante is just getting started, and the teenager has a lot more to do, including hopefully making more phone calls to her brother after a race win.

Edited by: James Thorogood