F1 Academy talent lands McLaren role and confirmed as team’s 2024 driver

F1 Academy’s Bianca Bustamante has joined the McLaren Driver Development programme and will also represent McLaren by running the team’s livery on her car for the 2024 season.

Bustamante is an 18-year-old driver from the Philippines and has made a promising start to life in the F1 Academy, winning the third race in Monza and the second race in Valencia.

With the competition moving closer to F1 next season, McLaren have become the first team to name their driver as Bustamante will race in the famous papaya.

Bianca Bustamante becomes McLaren’s first female academy product

For 2024, all 10 F1 teams will have one driver and one car in their colours but up until now, no candidate had been named. Bustamante has become not only the first to do that but also the first female driver to enrol in McLaren’s development programme, a programme that has produced the likes of Lewis Hamilton in the past.

So far in her single-seater career, Bustamante has competed in W Series, Formula 4 UAE Championship, Italian Formula 4, USF Juniors and the 2023 F1 Academy season where she is seventh standings. She has two wins and two podiums this season heading into the final round of the 2023 series at the United States Grand Prix in Austin. She will be coached at McLaren by Emanuele Pirro.

Bustamante said: “This is such an unreal moment in my career, to sign with McLaren and ART Grand Prix is way beyond anything I could’ve ever imagined growing up racing karts in the Philippines. I still have a hard time seeing my name next to McLaren without getting emotional, as the history and heritage linked to this team leaves me truly speechless.

“I’m so grateful for this opportunity as I believe I now have the best possible development structure around me to take the next step up in my career, and for this I am so thankful. 2023 was all about improving my speed which I demonstrated across several races this year, but in 2024 my aim is to establish consistency and improve my mental strength in order to make a title challenge in the coming F1 Academy season.

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“For now, my focus is to finish off the F1 Academy season strongly here in Austin, but we’ll get to work immediately on the 2024 season. I’ve never been more motivated in my life! A big thanks goes to Susie Wolff and the team at F1 Academy for fighting so hard for us girls and to give us this opportunity to be the best we can be.

“Additional thanks go to Zak Brown, Andrea Stella, Emanuele Pirro, Sebastian Philippe, my sponsors, and all my supporters for believing in me and making this all possible. I am full of gratitude, and I promise to give it my all.”

Team principal Andrea Stella said: ” “The team are delighted for Bianca to join us, and for McLaren to be involved in F1 Academy. It’s a core principle of ours to be a diverse and inclusive team, so we’re pleased to be so involved in Formula 1’s work on the important topic of improving gender diversity within motorsport.

We also look forward to seeing Bianca grow and progress within the McLaren Racing Driver Development programme under Emanuele’s guidance.”

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