2023-10-18 16:13:15
Bianca Bustamante has become the first woman to join McLaren’s driver development programme, the Formula 1 team announced on Wednesday.
Born in the Philippines, Bustamante, 18, made her single-seater debut in 2022 with her participation in the W Series, the women’s championship. This season she took part in the first season of the F1 Academy, also an all-female championship, with Prema Racing, taking two wins and taking two podiums before the final round in Austin.
Bustamante will represent McLaren, driving for ART Grand Prix, on the F1 Academy grid next season. From 2024, the ten F1 teams will have to field a car and a driver in their colors in this championship. “It’s such a surreal moment in my career, signing with McLaren and ART Grand Prix is beyond anything I might have imagined when I was a kid karting in the Philippines“, Bustamante told the McLaren website.
Andrea Stellateam boss, added that “the team is delighted to have Bianca join us and for McLaren to participate in the F1 Academy. It is a fundamental principle for us to be a diverse and inclusive team, so we are delighted to be so involved in Formula 1’s work on the important topic of improving gender diversity in motorsport .“
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