Bianca Bustamante gets debut podium finish at F1 Academy in Miami
Filipino racer Bianca Bustamante of McLaren had her debut podium finish as second placer in the second round of the F1 Academy 2024 in Miami on May 6.
McLaren on Instagram shared a Reel of Bustamante alighting her vehicle to hug her team and pose for the camera.
“YES! First podium of the season for @RacerBia,” the caption read, followed by an orange heart emoji.
McLaren also shared a photo of the 19-year-old holding her trophy.
“Hold it high, @RacerBia!” it said. “First trophy of the season.”
British Abbi Pulling of Alpine placed first, while French Doriane Pin of Mercedes went third.
In the first round where Pulling also placed first, Bustamante fell to the bottom of the grid and finished ninth.
The Laguna-born racer is in the fifth place of the driver standings.
The third round of the F1 Academy will take place in Barcelona this June.
Bustamante made history as the first female to join the McLaren Driver Development Program, the British team's program that helps young racers advance to prestigious motorsport tournaments worldwide.
She made international headlines when she joined F1 Academy's PREMA Racing in February 2023 and won her first title in Valencia, Spain in May of that year.
Previously, she told PhilSTAR L!fe that her goal this year is to "win a championship."
“Every race I drove as if it was my last because it really could have been,” Bianca shared, adding that her confidence also grew with each win. “Realizing how far I would go for motorsports made me think that yes, I have what it takes because I’m willing to bleed for this sport. I’m willing to sacrifice everything for it.”