Photo credit: McLaren

The 18-year-old Filipino racer Bianca Bustamante has made history by becoming the first female driver to join McLaren's prestigious Driver Development programme.

Bustamante, who made her single-seater debut in 2022 and clinched the top rookie honors in the W Series, has been turning heads with her exceptional talent and determination.

This year, she further solidified her reputation by competing in the inaugural F1 Academy season with PREMA Racing, securing two impressive wins and two podium finishes before the season finale in Austin this weekend. As part of the McLaren Driver Development programme, Bustamante will proudly represent McLaren on the 2024 F1 Academy grid, racing under the ART Grand Prix banner.

"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," said Bustamante. "I've never been more motivated in my life!"

Andrea Stella, McLaren’s Team Principal, expressed the team's delight, emphasizing McLaren's dedication to promoting gender diversity in motorsport.

Emanuele Pirro, Director of the McLaren Racing Driver Development and former Formula 1 driver, praised Bustamante's work ethic and talent, expressing excitement about her representation of the team in the F1 Academy series. "I look forward to working with Bianca on her development as a racing driver," Pirro stated.