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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Bianca Bustamante proudly raises Philippine flag in motorsports

Bianca Bustamante proudly raises Philippine flag in motorsports

Published May 19, 2023 08:52 am
Filipina teen racer Bianca Bustamante was over the moon following her breakthrough in the second round of the inaugural 2023 F1 Academy in Valencia, Spain. The 18-year-old PREMA Racing driver clinched her maiden career win in the all-female single-seater competition, and was the first Filipina to accomplish the feat. Bustamante not only raised the flag proudly during her podium celebration, but was able to sing along to the Philippine national anthem in front of her competitors. “I know a lot of the drivers have never even heard of the Philippine anthem and have probably never even seen the flag,” said Bustamante who actually debuted with a P2 finish in Austria a week prior to her win. In a country with a scarce caliber of motorsport athletes, Bustamante held her ground and led from lights out to the checkered flag and gave the Philippines its first of many recognition in the sport. After the abrupt end to her W Series stint last year due to the funding falling through, it didn’t take too long for Bustamante to re-launch her career with the Italian team PREMA Racing in the United Arab Emirates F4 Championships in February. “Through them, I knew that I could learn massively and I had the opportunity to progress as a driver, which I did. We did all that we could do during the offseason to make sure that I was in my best form coming into the F1 Academy,” said Bustamante. “Being with the team that really understands how to develop a young athlete was an amazing opportunity because it wasn’t only about driving, it’s actually everything that you do off track that makes driving easier,” she added. Bustamante has also grown quite a huge fanbase rallying behind her across Southeast Asia, which has willed her to fill in the gap in the lack of representation of women in sports in the region. With her impressive progression in the male-dominated sport, Bustamante is eyeing another win in the third round, which will be held in Barcelona, Spain on May 19-21. After two rounds, Bustamante sits at sixth in the drivers’ standings, while her Spanish teammate Marta García is in the lead.



















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