Meet Bianca Bustamante, the rising race car driver from the Philippines who was ‘told to dream less'

CNA

a day ago

It's your typical Asian family origin story – parents want their kid to study hard, become a doctor and have a stable, high-paying career. Here's the plot twist: Kid doesn't believe in taking the conventional path but decides to believe in herself from the moment she sits in a go-kart at age three instead.
In 2024, that self-belief culminated in Bianca Bustamante making history as the first female driver ever selected for McLaren's Driver Development Programme.
'No one expected me to make it this far; not a little girl from the Philippines who came from a very middle-class family,' Bustamante shared via video call from her home in the UK where she is now based.
Historically, the world of motor racing is notoriously known for being accessible only to those who come from prodigious privilege and the sort of pedigree afforded by favourable parentage. It takes a tremendous amount of investment to hone a child's driving skill starting in karting. Add to that the necessary travels to competitions around the world in the hopes of them developing sufficient proficiency to even get a shot at the big leagues.
'It's a very expensive sport that's often reserved for people with money,' Bustamante acknowledged. 'So for me to make a career for myself in racing and travel the world, no one expected that, not even my own family. To be honest, I was told by family members to dream less,' she confided with nary a trace of resentment or bitterness.
In fact, the only moment Bustamante's equanimity wavers ever so slightly during our hour-long chat is when she recounts how her father had often juggled three jobs to support her racing career in the early days.
'My dad was an OFW (Overseas Filipino Worker) who made every effort to earn money to send back home to the Philippines for my racing. Growing up, I've always seen my parents – dad is a construction worker and mum is a nurse – work hard just to provide for the family,' she revealed, voice growing tender with a hint of emotion.
The family's sacrifices have certainly paid off, and being able to represent her country and seeing the Philippines flag when she races have been Bustamante's 'greatest pride'.
'Especially coming from a part of the world where motorsport was never really known for, or highly encouraged, as a career choice. So, this breaks a multitude of barriers,' she said.
MAKING HISTORY WITH MCLAREN
From those humble beginnings, Bustamante has blazed through Asian karting championships from the age of five, graduating to racing in the now-defunct, all-female W Series single-seater racing championship followed by another all-female championship, F1 Academy.
It was during her stint with the latter that Bustamante found herself 'living her best life' with McLaren – a historic year that saw the British team reclaim the Constructors' Championship for the first time in 26 years.
'It's definitely a chapter in my story that has a bookmark,' she recalled. 'I literally had a front seat to watch their rise; seeing the passionate people put in so many hours of blood, sweat and tears every single race, day in, day out, was incredible.'
'As a young driver and athlete, I look up to Lando [Norris] and everyone in the team. I come from the Philippines; I never would have expected to be in the [McLaren] paddock, wearing those colours and being part of the 'papaya' family,' she enthused.
Beyond fanning the flames of fandom, Bustamante's year-long stint with McLaren gave her an invaluable opportunity to sharpen her own race craft and accelerate her learning curve in the field.
'I saw first-hand what it takes to win with McLaren; sitting in during debriefs, learning how they work – their proficiency, their professionalism – and learning more about the car,' she shared.
That Bustamante was selected to be part of the team's Driver Development Programme was another landmark moment in McLaren history; one that signals a seismic shift towards more inclusivity in the sport.
'It's a space that has evolved massively in the span of five years,' she observed. 'Five years ago, there were no female drivers, no F1 Academy. You wouldn't see as many females in the grandstands or in the paddock, as the fanbase was still very male-dominated. Now, all the F1 teams are working hard to support female talents, and being at the frontline of that change is a beautiful thing to see.'
SLIPPING INTO SUPERHERO FORM
Leading the wave of change also means keeping mind, body and spirit in fighting form and bringing your A-game to each and every race.
'It's such a complex and fast-paced sport. Precision is key and you need to be smart and level-headed – that intensity forces you to bring out the best in yourself,' said Bustamante, who's currently racing in the GB3 Championship for Elite Motorsport in a mixed grid competing against both male and female drivers.
For Bustamante, who was also recently appointed a development driver for the Cupra Kiro team in the Formula E Championship, donning her racing suit means slipping into a 'superhero' alter ego: 'She's brave, fearless, courageous and strong – everything that I'm not in normal day-to-day life. So I get to be the best version of myself when I'm driving.'
It's hard to imagine she's still only 20. Bustamante's real flex, it appears, is less about trophies and podiums, but more about the level of maturity and wisdom of someone much further along in years. A race car driver lives many lives, after all, on and off the track. From demanding travel and race schedules to gruelling training regimens, it's a never-ending quest to maintain peak form.
'Your body and your mind are so crucial,' she said. 'It's your armour, your machinery, and it's such a vital part of performance as a high-level athlete.'
From enduring the G-force (gravitational force) at speeds of up to 300 km/h to managing tyre degradation, there are a lot of variables to manage during a race, and a lot that can go wrong, too.
'You're in control of a beast and once fatigue creeps in, it's hard to do all those things so training is important as it allows you to have a bigger capacity mentally and physically,' she explained.
To this end, Bustamante works out up to four hours a day, alternating between cardio and weight training, in addition to neurocognitive practices such as eye coordination and peripheral vision exercises imperative for making those split-second decisions on track.
And then there's the intensity of the race itself: 'You go through a rollercoaster of emotions during a race weekend and any hindrance can ruin your mental state and form. So keeping a level-headed mindset is crucial; it takes a lot of maturity and understanding.'
MERCURIAL, MARKETABLE & MEDIA-SAVVY
Today's athlete needs to be marketable. No one understands this better than Bustamante and racing achievements aside, it's arguably the prime reason for her spectacular rise.
In an age where follower count is currency, Bustamante, whose online sphere of influence is one of the highest amongst her closest peers at over three million followers across Instagram and TikTok, exudes a level of charisma that speaks to her star power.
Quite the media darling, she was named third-most influential non-European female racing driver by car rental company Avis last year while SportsPro Media placed her 64th on its annual ranking of the 150 Most Marketable Athletes worldwide, making her the second-most marketable teenage athlete and only Filipino to make the cut. Bustamante's rising profile has also earned her a spot on the prestigious Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe list this year.
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A post shared by Bianca Bustamante 🏁 (@racerbia)
In person, that magnetism – which the kids are calling 'aura' and 'rizz' these days – is all the more amplified. Here, mercurial personality meets media-savvy in a winning formula packaged as role model material for corporations looking to leverage her personal brand.
Priority Pass, for instance, appointed Bustamante its Asia-Pacific brand advocate earlier this year – a partnership that comes with one of the most practical perks to complement her hectic travel schedule: Access to over 1,700 airport lounges in 145 countries around the world.
'When you're taking 90 flights a year, it can be so detrimental to your mental health,' she noted. Priority Pass is such a great partner to have as a racing driver, and one that supports my goal to inspire others to challenge their limits. Those quiet spaces and good lounge food in an airport give me that extra fuel so I can go further.'
SHIFTING GEARS
Multi-dimensionality sells, particularly in a sport that's witnessing a growing number of multi-hyphenates on the grid (see Lewis Hamilton and his penchant for fashion, Charles Leclerc and his budding music career).
For Bustamante, who likewise finds herself both technically-inclined and creatively-inspired, reprieve from the pressure of racing is to be found in her interest in art and photography. She even has a separate Instagram account @racerbia.jpg to showcase photos from her travels captured on her Fujifilm X-T3.
'Creativity is my centre. I also love sketching and architecture. I love how you can turn a blank piece of paper into something beautiful. And there are no rules so it feels very freeing,' said Bustamante, who taught herself how to draw floor plans at the age of eight and dreams of one day holding her own photo exhibition.
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A post shared by Bianca Bustamante 🏁 (@racerbia)
Reflecting on how far she's come from her karting days as a kid with a dream others deemed implausible, she offered: 'People will tell you what to do, they will try to box you and make you follow a certain path that is often made for you. It doesn't matter how well you blend in, but how boldly you stand out.'
She continued: 'Most of the time, we're scared to be too smart, too pretty, too talkative or too loud. We're told that being too much is not a good thing. But remember, you're never too much; often, they're just not enough.'
Boom. Mic drop moment from a young woman whose decision to take the road less travelled has paid off against the odds.
'Do something that scares you every day,' is therefore Bustamante's sage advice for youth. 'I didn't follow the mould, I didn't follow the path that my parents wanted me to, but it's gotten me this far, and it's given me so much joy knowing that I'm doing something that scares me so much,' she said.
'Dream, find your passion, and put in the hard work. Go above and beyond; if you want to do something, do it 10 times better [than the next guy],' she continued.
For all her achievements and accolades so far, Bustamante believes her ultimate dream is still within her grasp: 'Formula One is my Everest,' she said. 'There are only 20 F1 drivers every year so it's a slim margin – like one in a million – with thousands of aspiring drivers [vying for a spot]. It'll be tough, but it's not impossible. Every day, we're closer to seeing a woman [driver] in Formula One.'