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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Bianca Bustamante gets maiden F1 Academy win in Spain

Bianca Bustamante gets maiden F1 Academy win in Spain

Published May 7, 2023 08:27 am
Filipina driver Bianca Bustamante made history after her impressive maiden win in the 2023 F1 Academy season at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Spain. Following her first podium finish in her debut last week in Austria, Bustamante showed poise and defended her position, maintaining a 0.7s gap to ART Grand Prix’s Lena Bühler past the checkered flag. With her first career victory, the 18-year-old became the first woman from the Philippines to win an official FIA-sanctioned single-seater race. *Filipina racer Bianca Bustamante of the PREMA Racing. (racerbia on Instagram)*

Bustamante clocked a front row finish in P2 with teammate and supposed double pole sitter Marta Garcia in Qualifying 1, but the Filipina was demoted to P8 after going over the track limit, which got her best lap time deleted. After being classified eight on the grid, Bustamante stormed the field and finished in P5 in Race 1. In Race 2, it was an all-PREMA front row for Bustamante and Chloe Grant in P1 and P2, respectively, for the top eight reverse grid. After holding off some late charges from Bühler and MP Motorsport’s Hamda Al Qubaisi, Bustamante led from pole to flag to take her first career win. Race 1 podium-sitter Bühler and race winner Al Qubaisi joined Bustamante on the podium in second and third, respectively. “I was just driving by feel that race, using all the experience we had gained throughout the whole week of testing. Starting on pole I was really feeling the nerves, knowing there were a lot of fast drivers behind me,” said Bustamante. “The team gave me an amazing car today and I am delighted to take home my first ever career win today,” she added in the post-race interview. Meanwhile, Bustamante’s teammates Garcia and Grant crossed the finish line fifth and sixth, respectively. After two races at Valencia, Bustamante earned 20 points combined and moved up to P5 in the drivers’ standing with a total of 38 points.

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