Bianca Bustamante

Bianca Bustamante is a Filipina professional racing driver who has broken barriers for women and Filipinos in international motorsport. Starting in karting as a child, she climbed into single-seater racing and became the first Filipina to win an F1 Academy race.

Note: Bianca is often described as an “F1 driver,” but she has not raced in Formula 1. She competed in F1 Academy, Formula 1’s development series for female drivers, and became a McLaren development driver.

Birthplace: Manila, Philippines

Birth Date: January 19, 2005

Field: Motorsport / Formula Racing

First Filipina to win an F1 Academy race

Won two F1 Academy races during the 2023 season, at Valencia and Monza

Became the first female driver accepted into the McLaren Driver Development Programme

Finished as the top rookie in the 2022 W Series

Won multiple karting championships before moving into single-seater racing

Bianca Bustamante is helping bring Filipino representation to a sport where Filipinos and women have historically had little visibility. Her journey inspires young racers to dream of competing at the highest levels of international motorsport.

Bianca first got behind the wheel of a baby race kart at just three years old, inspired by her father’s love of racing.