
By NIKOLE JAVIER
Teen racer Bianca Bustamante soared to her highest scoring finish in the fourth round of the Formula 4 United Arab Emirates Championship on Sunday, Feb. 12, at the Dubai Autodrome, Dubai.
The Filipina's great pace in Race 1 set her up for a top-ten start for Race 2 after recording the sixth-fastest lap.
Bustamante, racing under Prema Racing, finished P9 in the second race with a time of 29:20.734, three seconds behind eventual winner Tuukka Taponen of the Mumbai Falcons in the 10-lap race.
“Points once again! P9 finish for us, that was a tough one with fast guys charging in but we held our own. Head down for the last race, let’s keep pushing,” said Bustamante in her tweet.
The 18-year-old racer had a decent race start and held on in between the sixth and seventh place after storming the mid-field and fighting elbows out against Valerio Rinicella and Jack Beeton and ultimately crossing the finish line at ninth.
Bustamante, who has made significant progress with the Italian team, will continue to stride up the Formula 1 ladder after signing a full season in the inaugural all-female series F1 Academy.