Making a name not only for the Philippines but also in the whole history of the professional racing sport Formula 1, Bianca Bustamante really is someone to look up to when it comes to this male-dominated sport.
Trending all over social media, there is no doubt that Bianca is someone that people can look up to in the world of professional racing and life.
To learn more about who Bianca is, here’s a glimpse of her shared life, both racing and personal.
1. She is the first F1 Academy driver that came from the Philippines
Raising the flag of the Philippines to the well-known motorsport Formula 1, Bianca became the first Filipina to participate in the Formula 1 Academy, a motorsport racing series for women participants.
Starting to love the world of racing at the age of 5, Bianca has always been a fan of this sport, which encouraged her to pursue such a career that she endured working away from her family in the Philippines to work as a professional racer.
According to her interviews and website, the Filipina pursued such a profession because of her father, whom she accompanied to watch kart races when she was young. This has also become an inspiration for Bianca, noting that her father supported her karting career back then as he became an overseas Filipino worker with three jobs.
Staying true to her goal of making a name for Asian countries when it comes to male-dominated sports such as Formula 1, Bianca is still striving with her career. “Her ambition is to one day show the world Asian drivers can compete on the global stage and also disrupt motorsport by demonstrating women can win at the top levels of a male-dominated sport,” as written on her official website.
2. She became the first female driver in the F1 history under McLaren
Just recently, Formula 1 team McLaren revealed its newest driver and the first female driver, Bianca Bustamante.
“Welcome to the family! Bianca Bustamante joins our Driver Development program as she continues to race in F1 Academy,” McLaren captioned on its Instagram post.
In her interview with McLaren, Bianca shared that she has been a fan of the said group since day one, which ticked off one of her life goal lists.
“I wasn’t expecting this opportunity—that I would actually be part of the team. I can’t stop smiling just hearing my name along with the word McLaren,” she said.
With this announcement from the professional motorsport team, Bianca will be alongside McLaren’s drivers, such as Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
3. She does not stop empowering women in a male-dominated field
Using herself as a role model for other people, Bianca never stops encouraging individuals to create their own career paths, especially in male-dominated fields like what she has achieved today.
The professional motorsport racer also encountered such discrimination due to her gender and race when it came to such a field. She admitted that she had a hard time achieving her goal of entering the world of Formula 1, as financial capacity will also be required to be one of the racers.
In her interview with McLaren, she disclosed that she wanted to show women, especially in Asian countries, that they can be part of such a sport too, despite their gender and lack of training grounds in their homeland.
“I think everyone from Asia can resonate with me when I say how difficult it is to actually break through in this scene because of the lack of opportunities, and we don’t have facilities in the country that cater to Formula 1 cars and even tracks to practice on,” she said.
With this initiative, Bianca was also recognized by TikTok Philippines as the ‘Sports Creator of the Year’ for being an inspiration to others as she revealed the stories of her ups and downs as a professional racer through the said platform.
4. She has bagged different awards in her racing journey
Since 2016, Bianca has been making a name for herself in the racing industry, noting her presence at a local karting event where she won a few pole positions in the overall championship.
To name some of her career highlights, the Filipina racer was able to win during the F1 Academy race in Italy this year and was named the ‘Top Rookie Driver’ in the 2022 standings of the W series.
Through her wins, Bianca was able to bring the Philippines into the world of Formula 1, as it was the first time that the Philippine National Anthem was sung during her win in Italy in 2023.
5. She studied at the University of Santo Tomas Angelicum
In achieving her dream career, Bianca does not forget to provide support for her future as she continues juggling her studies with her professional career.
At the age of 18, the Filipina racer was able to finish senior high school at the University of Santo Tomas Angelicum, as she took a home study program and finished it last March.
In her previous Instagram post, Bianca shared how she manages her time as a racer and student at the same time, which she admitted to being hard to do because of the far time zones between different countries.
“I felt the need to do a little appreciation post, even though I know it’s not very exciting. But academics is still a major aspect of my life, like any other teenager. I’ve been in Motorsports before I even started school; regardless, I learned to love and balance both! Hand in hand, they both helped build my character,” she said.
As she finished her homeschooling program, Bianca then shared how she saw an opportunity for her to take the STEM field, specifically to become an architect someday.
6. She has built her own NFT community pass
Named the “Dark Horse,” Bianca opened her official NFT community pass in 2022 that exclusively offers updates to her fans.
Through this community pass, its users can have exclusive behind-the-scenes access to Bianca during her races and also be part of her team that can support her during her motorsport journey.
“The goal of The Dark Horse is to foster a community of Bianca supporters as they work together in a pioneering project to pave the way for a race driver of the future,” as indicated on the official community pass website of Bianca.
At a young age, Bianca has fostered several milestones in her life that are also reflected in the name of the country. This has made her an inspiration to many that even though challenges may occur, both in personal life and from the perspective of society, you can still make it through your dreams by just believing in yourself and finding people who are willing to support you along the way.
May this be a reminder, especially to women, that nothing can stop a woman from dreaming, even though her aspiration is commonly seen as dominated by men.
