F1’s Bianca Bustamante, 19, talks about breaking racing barriers for women
When it comes to creating her own lane in the world of F1, she is 19 years old Bianca Bustamante is moving full steam ahead.
A development driver for McLaren, Bustamante has made big waves in the racing world – from her youth and energy to her massive social media presence, including 1.6 million followers on Instagram.
In an exclusive interview with We weeklyBustamante said she has no plans to slow down.
“I have faced the problems, I know the barriers, I know the financial difficulties you face when you make a career in motorsport,” said Bustamante. “I’ve been through it all and I’ve often said to myself that I’ll never make it. I was constantly told, even by people around me – family and friends – to dream less so that you would achieve something in life. When I heard all that, I was clearly still very driven.”
Born in the Philippines, Bustamante started racing at the age of 5. With two F1 Academy wins in 2023 as a member of the ART Grand Prix to her name, she has her sights set on continuing to break existing stereotypes and persistent misconceptions about what an F1 is. can be a driver.
“You see steps being taken every day,” Bustamante boasted. “The public, people from outside, may not hear it or see it yet, but steps are being taken. It’s incredible.”
Bustamante credited many of the sport’s “male allies” for helping move the sport forward.
“Changes don’t happen overnight, changes don’t happen overnight,” she said. “Rome was not built in one day. It is the constant hard work and education of everyone to make the sport a more inclusive space. It’s not just me, it’s my group of people behind me.”
Bustamante added: “I’m so happy to be on the front lines and the barriers are being broken… That’s always the beautiful thing, isn’t it? Passing the torch on to the next generation. Hopefully the next generation won’t have to go through the same struggles I did.”
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Although Bustamante is very confident in her place in the F1 world, she admits things are a little more complicated when it comes to balancing her racing career with her personal life.
“Honestly, that’s probably the hardest part,” she explained. “It’s still one thing I’m working on. It doesn’t get any easier. You just learn to be able to transition from one person to another. I think it also means realizing that the personality you have – the athlete, the driver, the one you see in interviews – that person, is work. It’s your career. But who you are as a person – your core person – that is a completely different person.”
Bustamante continued, “Being able to switch between those things is one of the best things because you never get lost.”
