If you’re not yet familiar with the name Bianca Bustamante, now’s the time to listen up. At just 19 years old, she’s determined to become the most successful female motorsport driver ever and is already well on her way to making that dream a reality. Last year, she became the first woman to be accepted onto McLaren’s prestigious driver development programme, which has kickstarted the careers of drivers like Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris, and she’s currently competing in the F1 Academy championship – an all-female racing series designed to nurture the next generation of talent.

But Bustamante isn’t stopping there. She wants to go all the way to Formula 1 – the number one racing championship in the world – and is determined to do everything in her power to make that happen. “I’m willing to bleed for it,” she tells Strong Women. “To get to Formula 1, I’m willing to risk everything – I’m going to give 100% so I don’t have any regrets that I could have worked harder further down the line.” 

The only problem? Making it the top end of motor racing as a woman isn’t just tough – it’s incredibly rare. There are no gender-based restrictions on competing in Formula 1, but the last time a woman competed in the top championship was back in 1992, when Giovanna Amati competed in three races. As it stands, there is only one woman competing across the top three global championships (Sophia Flörsch, who currently competes in FIA Formula 3).

One thing’s for sure, Bustamante’s journey isn’t going to be an easy one – but she’s ready to fight. As she gears up for the third race in the F1 Academy season (taking place this weekend in Barcelona), Strong Woman sat down with the driver to chat more about what she hopes from the future. 

How did you get into racing in the first place?

“I was very fortunate that my dad was a big motorsport fan – he’s followed the likes of Kimi Räikkönen and Sebastian Vettel throughout their careers – so I grew up surrounded by racing. In fact, my dad bought me a baby kart aged three so I could get involved. Motor racing was not a big thing in the Philippines (where I come from) at the time, but I jumped in this 60cc kart and spent my time driving it around our village.

“When he saw how much I loved it, he took me to the track for the first time, and I remember it so well. It’s one of my core memories from growing up, because my love for motor racing became something my dad and I could bond over, too.” 

When did you know you wanted to be a professional driver?

“Motor racing is an expensive sport and my family didn’t have much money, but my dad wanted to support my passion. Aged six, my parents asked me whether this was something I really wanted to do. At the time, my dad was working three jobs in America to send money back to the Philippines, and we had to get a loan on our house and sell everything we owned to get by. But I told them I loved racing and wanted to do it properly, so we decided to shoot for the moon and hopefully land on one of the stars. 

“From then on, I was homeschooled so I could manage my schedule better and be more disciplined with my training – it was a pivot point for my career. But there were never any specific goals or pathway we set out to follow. Never in my dad’s wildest dreams did he ever suspect his daughter would be signed by McLaren.”

Motor racing is very male-dominated – what is it like being a woman in this sport?

“I think there will always be challenges to overcome whether you’re male or female – men can still be hated on or face hurdles every time they’re on the track. But the hard bit about being a woman is that you’re being judged for everything you do on and off the track – it’s like everyone is waiting for you to fail.

“Dealing with that criticism has been very tough; it’s so easy to let that get to you. I’ve had to learn how to not let negative comments become a distraction and to use criticism to fuel my motivation. I’ve always known that if I fail, my parents’ sacrifices would have been for nothing. I know that I’m in this position because of my parents and everything they’ve done for me, so I shouldn’t let anyone else’s opinions affect what I’m doing.”

How does it feel to be the first woman to be accepted onto McLaren’s Driver Development Programme?

“It’s so weird! Ten years ago, you couldn’t imagine someone saying that the first female development driver for McLaren would be Filipino and barely five-foot three – this petite girl from the middle of nowhere. In fact, when McLaren reached out to my manager and made their future intentions clear, I couldn’t believe it. I grew up watching footage of Niki Lauda winning the championship with McLaren, so to be a part of the team is crazy.

“I’ve been with McLaren for a few months now and it feels a bit more real, but I know I won’t be at McLaren forever, so I’m trying to make the most of this time. I love the fact that I get to inspire people as much as other drivers have inspired me; I want to pass the torch on to the next generation, and I hope my signing will open doors for a lot of young girls and boys who aspire to sign for McLaren one day, regardless of where they come from.

“It’s useful to think about that immediate impact because it means that I’m not focused on winning. I do want to make it to F1, but I’ve also got this potential legacy.”     

What are your goals for the future?

“Everyone here at the McLaren Technology Centre (MTC) has the same goal: to get into F1. I want to be there because I have the ability and know I deserve it, but I know it’s going to be a very hard and tough path to get there.

“In the short term, I’m taking things one race at a time. We’ve got Barcelona coming up and I think right now is a good time to focus on improving. I just want to make sure I make the most of my days as a junior and maximise every opportunity I have right now, because I’ve still got many years of my career ahead of me. I’m so lucky to have an amazing team around me, and I want to get everything I can out of them. It takes a village to raise a champion, and that’s what I’ve got with McLaren.” 

Bianca Bustamante was speaking on behalf of Optimum Nutrition, the Official Sports Nutrition Partner of McLaren Racing.

Images: LAT Photography