Il 7 March the season will begin F1 Academy 2024 and what better time to find out who the riders are who will compete to bring home the title? Last year, first in the category, she was crowned world champion Marta Garcia which will compete in the FRECA category financed by Alpine. In this article we address the achievements and career of Bianca Bustamante, already in McLaren's young driver development project and who, in 2024, will race with Art Grand Prix.
Bianca and her new orange shirt
In 2022 compete in a test of WSeries in Arizona along with 14 other potential pilots. He then participated in a second pre-season test in Barcelona together with 11 other potential drivers, confirming himself as a driver in the category for the entire 2022 season. He thus finished 15th with 2 points in 7 races.
In 2023 conquers seventh place in the drivers' standings with ben 116 total points. After taking a podium in the opening race at Spielberg, Bianca wins the victory at Valencia and Monza, the home race of his former team, Prema.
The eighteen year old Filipina will be the new member of the team's driver development project Woking, becoming the first woman to take part in the project. This year, in fact, each Formula 1 team has the task of taking a young driver from the F1 Academy under its wing. Bianca Bustamante was, in this regard, the first name revealed by a top team.
From this year, however, he will no longer race with the Italian team, but with Art Grand Prize together with Lia Block. The third name of the team has not yet been revealed.
The objectives and the new team
The young woman immediately showed herself positive and honored to start the new adventure with McLaren. So with the papaya-coloured shirt and the Art Grand Prix single-seater, he will face the season which will begin in March, Jeddah, coinciding with the second F1 race.
I am so grateful for this opportunity as I believe I now have the best possible development structure around me to take the next step in my career, and for that I am so grateful. 2023 was all about improving my speed, which I have demonstrated in several races this year, but in 2024 my focus is on establishing consistency and improving my mental toughness to take on a title challenge in the next F1 Academy season .
White after the announcement of the contracts with McLaren and AGP
Bianca is not only the first girl to sign up for McLaren's driver development project. She is also the second driver – after Emma Gilmour – to sign for the English team.
