F1’s Bianca Bustamante, 19, Talks Breaking Racing Barriers for Women

When it comes to creating her own lane in the world of F1, 19-year-old Bianca Bustamante is moving full steam ahead. 

Bustamante, a development driver for McLaren, has made major waves in the world of racing — from her youth and energy to her gigantic social media presence, which includes 1.6 million followers on Instagram. 

In an exclusive interview with Us Weekly, Bustamante said she has no plans on slowing down. 

“I faced the struggles, I know the barriers, I know the financial difficulties of making a career for yourself in motorsport,” Bustamante said. “I’ve gone through it all, and many times I’ve told myself I’m never going to make it. I was told constantly, even by people around me — family and friends — to dream less so you’ll achieve something in life. Hearing all that, obviously I was still very driven.”

Born in the Philippines, Bustamante began racing at the age of 5. With two F1 Academy wins in 2023 as a member of ART Grand Prix under her belt, she has her eyes set on continuing to bust pre existing stereotypes lingering misconceptions of what an F1 driver can be. 

“You see steps being made every single day,” Bustamante boasted. “The public, people from the outside, might not hear it or might not see it yet, but steps are being made. It is incredible.”

Bustamante credited many of the “male allies” in the sport for helping to push the sport forward. 

“Changes just don’t happen in a day, changes just don’t happen overnight,” she said. “Rome wasn’t built in a day. It’s the constant hard work and education put in by everyone to make the sport a more inclusive space. It’s not just me, it’s my group of people behind me.”

Bustamante added, “I’m so happy to be on the frontlines of those barriers being broken…That’s always the great thing, isn’t it? Passing the torch a little bit to the next generation. Hopefully the next generation doesn’t have to go through the struggles I went through.”

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While Bustamante is fiercely confident about her place in the F1 world, when it comes to juggling her racing career with her personal life she admits things are a bit more complicated. 

“Honestly, that’s probably the toughest,” she explained. “It’s still one thing I’m working on. It doesn’t get easier. You just learn to be able to switch from one person to the other. I think it’s also realizing that the persona you have — the athlete, the racing driver, the one you see in interviews — that person, it’s work. It’s your career. But then who you are as a person — your core person — that’s a completely different person.”

Bustamante continued, “To be able to switch in and out of those things is one of the best things to have because you never get lost.”