This 16-year-old Pinay racer is quickly amassing achievements, while trailblazing the way for young girls who aspire to motorsports greatness
IT’S BEEN a while since the world started to long for some female representation in Formula 1 racing (and in all other motorsports, for that matter). And for that reason — promoting gender diversity and changing the current paradigm — the FIA (Federation Internationale de l’Automobile), back in 2009, formed the Women in Motorsport Commission (WMC).
Among the goals of the FIA’s WMC is to develop social and educational programs open to women around the globe, in order to highlight and demonstrate that motorsports and all of its aspects are definitely open to women. In 2020 began one of its major projects: the FIA Girls on Track-Rising Stars Scholarship Shoot-out.
Enter our sweet 16-year-old Bianca Bustamante — one of the 14 up-and-coming young talents who were selected by the FIA WMC from a pool of over 70 applicants from around the world to participate in the shoot-out. The young Filipina also happens to be the only Asian driver who was selected this 2021.
Basically, the selected participants compete in a series of elimination challenges, with the first one being a shoot-out to be held at the Paul Ricard Race Circuit in France. The event will be held this coming Oct. 21 to 23, during which time the 14 hopefuls will undergo several race tests in order for the FIA WMC to determine the eight best-performing drivers. Those eight drivers who make the cut shall be sent to attend FIA training camps, and then from there, onto Fiorano, Italy for their final tests in Formula 4 cars. The winner in this final elimination phase shall be the one recruited and awarded full race scholarships — courtesy of Scuderia Ferrari’s world-famous Ferrari Driver Academy.
If you will recall, the Ferrari Driver Academy has produced successful Formula 1 drivers such as this season’s Sergio Perez of Red Bull, Mick Schumacher of Haas, and of course, Charles Leclerc of Ferrari.
With such a priceless opportunity at stake — plus potentially, a huge financial relief, considering the blatantly high cost of starting a career in professional racing — Bianca Bustamante is totally determined and simply thrilled.
She shares: “I fell in love with racing ever since I was a kid, and I haven’t stopped training in preparation for this moment. Now that it’s becoming a reality, I will continue to work hard towards being selected for the Ferrari Driving Academy race scholarship. I am so proud to represent the Philippines in this competition and to be the only Asian driver selected is an added bonus, but (it) also adds a bit of pressure to represent the Asia region against the global field! I will continue to train hard leading up to the event and do my best in France!”
Bianca was first introduced to karting by her dad — who was a former karter — and she immediately felt a connection with the sport as early as age three. By the time she was five, she was already racing, and has since excelled in the field of motorsport, bagging several karting championships across Asia.
Her achievements include the following:
• Four-time winner of the China Grand Prix Kart Scholarship (2018-2019)
• Three-time Macau International Kart GP Champion (2014, 2018, 2019)
• Two-time Junior Asian Karting Open Championship — Overall Champion (2018, 2019)
• Three-time Philippines Driver of the Year-Karting (2018, 2019, 2020)
• Philippines National Junior Karter of the Year (2018)
And when asked what she’d like to share to other young Filipina hopefuls who wish to pursue a career in racing someday, she says: “Racing is very difficult. You need passion, dedication, discipline. It’s like learning a new language — you need to put in the hours to get better! And you find ways to make things work. Gender should never hinder us from achieving our dreams. You need to be brave! It’s only one life.”
Good luck in your shoot-out this October, Bianca! The Philippines is rooting for you and what you represent for female empowerment!